


Wicked Wars

by FaerieTales4ever



Category: Wicked - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-22 15:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2512076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaerieTales4ever/pseuds/FaerieTales4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a prompt given to me by tap-Violeta and the movie This Means War. Galinda and Fiyero are both falling for Elphaba, so they decide to each take her out let her choose who she’d rather date. But none of the dates go as planned thanks to the jealousy that love can bring out. Who do you think will win?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bet

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So, this was ALSO supposed to be an o/s, hahaha, for tap-Violeta. She wanted a o/s where Galinda and Fiyero compete to win Elphie’s heart. This is what came out, hehe. I suspect it will be about 6-8 chaps long. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I’m not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I’m just playing around with my favorite musical!

**Wicked Wars**

**1**

**The Bet**

“You want to what?” Two heads whipped up to face each other as Fiyero and Galinda locked gazes in shocked disbelief. Had they really just heard what they thought they heard? Fiyero’s mouth kept opening and closing, his amber eyes twice their usual size. He looked as if he was trying to come up with something to say, but his brain had simply shut down at his friend’s bewildering comment. His lips flapped like a cod fish’s as he kept trying and failing to form some kind of an intelligent sentence in response.

Galinda’s bubble-gum glossed lips parted in a small, perplexed ‘o’ as she tried to wrap her brain around what had just happened. She finally understood what Elphie meant when she would gently tease her about having a “blissfully blonde” moment in class if she missed something one of the teachers had said. It was as if Fiyero had spoken another language entirely. She heard the nervous, stuttered words as they poured out of his mouth, but all of a sudden, none of them made any sense.

She’d known when he came to the dorm last night that he had something important to say, she could tell from the serious and uncertain look in his eyes. Galinda had actually been relieved. Just as Fiyero had knocked on their door, she had been mentally preparing herself to go and see him. She’d confessed that she too had something she wanted to talk about, so the two of them had agreed to meet early in the cafeteria and grab a table just before Elphaba’s last class let out. She had a feeling, just by the way they were acting around each other last night- both had been paranoid and jumpy, seldomly wanting to meet the other’s eyes as they mumbled their reasonings for wanting to see each other privately- that they had similar issues on their minds. But this similar? It was a lot to process.

“I-I’m sorry, Fifi,” Galinda fumbled as her ability to speak finally started to return to her. “I don’t... I think I must’ve heard wrong.” She gave a breathy laugh and swung her golden curls from side to side as she tried to clear her muddled though.

“What?’ Fiyero blinked dazedly and then cleared his throat. “Oh, yes, erm... right.” He scrunched his brows together. “What were we talking about?”

Galinda let out a short, breathy giggle at her friend’s absentmindedness. “You were saying something about Elphie? I think I heard you say you wanted to um…” her eyes darted around the crowded cafeteria for a minute and she twisted her wrists in anticipation.

“Oh, right, that. Well I uh… I wanted to ask your permission to um… ask her out,” he mumbled into his lap.

Galinda sucked in a breath and her eyes widened. She clasped her hands together so hard her knuckles turned white. So she hadn’t heard wrong! But then that meant… Oh Shiza! she cursed inwardly. What was she supposed to do now?

“I mean, um, not that I need your permission, exactly,” he rambled on. “I am a prince, after all. I can do whatever I wish,” he laughed halfheartedly, trying to ease the tension between the two of them. Right now it was so thick he could cut it with a knife. “But, well, you and Fae are my best friends, and if we start dating... I just don’t want to ruin that, y’know? And um…” He coughed awkwardly before turning to face the blonde. He frowned nervously when he noticed how pale her face had gotten. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her eyes were shooting daggers at his head. He gulped audibly and shrank back a bit. “So, erm,” he fidgeted uncomfortably and kept his gaze trained on the table, resisting the urge to shiver as he felt Galinda’s gaze bore into him. Most wouldn’t believe it, but the usually perky, fun-loving blonde could be incredibly intimidating when she wanted to be. “I’m guessing that’s a no?”

“Fiyero…” she asked carefully, trying to keep her voice steady. “That’s what I just asked you about. Weren’t you paying attention at all?” she huffed irritably.

Fiyero’s head snapped up, and he nearly choked on his milk. “Wait,” he coughed. “You did?”

“I did.” Galinda’s grey-blue stormy eyes locked on his moss green ones in absolute sincerity.

“But… I mean… er... “ he sputtered, utterly confused now. “Galinda… Fae is… well, she’s a girl.”

Galinda sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically, drumming her fingers on the table. “Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed,” she droned sarcastically. “And your point is?”

Fiyero shifted in his seat, clearly out of his element. “N-nothing, I guess. I just um, I didn’t know you, er, swung that way.” He winced at the timidness of that comment.

“Neither did I.” she shrugged simply. “Until Elphie.” As  she said her name this time, a slow, radiant smile graced her face and her cheeks took on a slightly rosy tint.

“Oh.” Fiyero raised an eyebrow, but tried not to make too big of a deal about it. “Well, um, okay then.” He bit his lip in disappointment before asking, “Do you know, does she, um, Elphaba, feel the same way?” he asked curiously, hoping he might still have a shot.

Galinda’s blush deepened and she averted her gaze to her lap. “I, um, actually… I don’t know yet,” she confessed. “I… haven’t had the courage to ask.” She was a bit ashamed to meet her friend’s eyes.

Fiyero sighed and ran a hand over his face, trying to hide his small smile. “Well, here she comes now,” he said, pointing to the double doors and waving. Galinda’s head jerked up and she swallowed nervously when she spotted her emerald roommate weaving through the crowd and smiling at them.

“Oh crap,” she moaned. “Fifi, what do we do?” she wondered, squeezing his hand so hard that the prince could only grunt in discomfort.

“Glin?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Can’t. Feel. My hand.”

“Oh!” the jumpy blonde giggled and immediately let go. “Sorry, Fifi,” she apologized. “But, seriously, what do we do?”

The prince shrugged, “I don’t know. Why not just, ask her? Let her choose who she’d rather date.

Galinda started at him. aghast. “Ask her?” she hissed. “That’s your big idea?”

“Why not?” he queried, his eyes wide and innocent.

Galinda shook her head in exasperation. “Because you can’t just-” she started to whisper, but Elphaba’s unusually cheery voice cut her off.

“Hi guys,” she said, sitting down and taking a bite of her apple.

Galinda and Fiyero glanced at each other. Fiyero nudged her in the ribs, and she glared at him. “Hey, Elphie.” She tried for a relaxed smile, but it came out more like a grimace.

Elphaba’s eyes narrowed. “Alright, spill it.” she demanded as Galinda kicked Fiyero under the table. “What trouble do I have to bail you out of this time?” She was only semi-joking.

“No trouble, Elphie,” Galinda piped in, waving her off dismissively. “Fifi and I were just having a little… debate.” she improvised.

Elphaba smirked, obviously seeing right through her. “Uh huh. Then why do the two of you look like cats who swallowed giant bowls of cream?” she raised an eyebrow knowingly. Her friends locked eyes and blushed. “Come on,” she coaxed again. “Out with it.”

“We were uh...  discussingwhichoneofusyou’dratherdate.” Fiyero blurted out.

Elphaba’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head.  

“Fifi!” Galinda stomped on his toe with her bright pink stiletto.

“Ow!” he yelped. “What was that for?”

Galinda just glared and huffed in exasperation. “You are so empty-headed sometimes,” she chided, whacking him upside the head. Fiyero winced and rubbed the back of his head where a large red bump was beginning to form. “Geez, Glin! Not so hard!”

Elphaba, meanwhile was choking on her last bit of apple, still flabbergasted by what the prince had said. Galinda whacked her on the back until the piece of apple skin shot out of her mouth and across the table.

“Ewww!” the blonde squealed, jumping backwards. Fiyero laughed at her exagerated reaction as Elphaba gulped down some water.

“What’s so funny, brainless?” she asked sharply, “It’s your fault I almost choked to death just now,” she accused.

  Fiyero held up his hands in surrender. “Whoa, sorry, Fae! I thought you were just exaggerating,” he pleaded truthfully.

“What? You didn’t think that news would shock me?” she asked sarcastically. “Betting on who I’d rather date! I hope you two were just joking,”  she warned seriously.

Galinda laughed hesitantly and exchanged a glance with the prince. “Of course we were, Elphie,” she lied.

“We were?” Fiyero gave her a quizzical look, but Galinda starred him down and motioned for him to play along. “Oh! Oh, I mean of course we were Fae! We’re your best friend’s after all. For one of us to date you would just be… weird. He shot a pointed look at Galinda, but the blonde ignored him.

“Mm hmm.” Elphaba rolled her eyes and continued to eat, not quite sure what to make of her friends’ dramatic antics.

“But-” Fiyero started, leaning back casually in his chair with a mischievous smile on his face. Galinda shot more daggers at him, but he paid them no mind. “Just for fun...” he continued, secretly satisfied when he snuck a peek over at the blonde out of the corner of his eye to see her nostrils flaring in frustration. “If you had to pick one of us to date, just once, who would you pick?” he smirked.

Elphaba laughed and thought about it for a minute. “You know,” she mused, “I really don’t have any idea. You’re both such good friends, and… I’ve never dated anyone before.” She blushed a forest green and her friend’s fought to keep straight expressions. They knew she wasn’t well liked, but to have no one ever ask her out before. That befuddled them both. “So, I don’t...I don’t even know what I like,” she confessed, her face flushing. “Besides,as great as the two of you are, we’re so… different. She turned to the blonde with a small smile. “Glin, you’re much girlier than I’ll ever be,” she chuckled. “And, Yero, you’re so… relaxed. I could never just let go and have fun like you can.” She shook her head and smiled, gathering the trash from her lunch onto her tray and standing up. “This was all very...interesting,” she smirked at her friends. “But I really don’t want to be late for Math.” She made a sour face and Fiyero and Galinda smiled sympathetically.

“You can give me another ‘date quiz’ later if you like.” she added, sticking her tongue out playfully. And before either of them could say anything more, she turned around, placing her tray on the rack to be washed and hurrying out of the cafeteria.  

* * *

When she was sure Elphaba was out of earshot, Galinda slumped back in her chair and sighed, blowing a stray curl out of her face. “Well, that went well,” she retorted indignantly. "What are we supposed to do now?” she whined. “She thinks neither one of us have a chance with her! Not even me! And I’m her best friend!” she lamented, sticking her lip out in an exaggerated puppy dog pout and doing her best to look completely forlorn.   

Fiyero snorted at her dramatics. “Relax, Glinny,” he joked. “She didn’t say she didn’t want to date us, she just said we’re different from her.”

“Don’t call me Glinny,” the blonde snarked back. “And isn’t that basically the same thing?” She ran a hand through her golden hair and groaned in annoyance. “I swear, Fifi, I can’t believe you actually told her we were talking about this! What in all of Oz were you thinking?” she questioned.

“I was thinking,” the prince chuckled with a mirthful glint in his eye, “that someone had to say something, or else we’d both just be sitting here for the rest of our college lives watching her from afar like lovesick puppies!” he pointed out.

Galinda huffed, but said nothing.

“I don’t know about you,” Fiyero continued, “but I’d rather not look like a sore loser who sits on his couch eating ice cream all weekend and pining after a girl he can never get up the nerve to talk to.”

“I talk to her!” Galinda protested hotly, “And so do you, for that matter.”

“Yeah,” he admitted, “but we talk to her as friends, Glin. This is a whole other ball game.” He made a motion like he was swinging a baseball bat. Galinda giggled.

“I know. But what do you suggest we do, Fifi? We can’t both date her, can we?”

Fiyero shook his head. “No, we can’t.” Then a mischievous glint lit up his eyes and he smiled mysteriously. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Galinda sat up a little straighter. For a moment, a happy sparkle lit her gaze. Until she noticed the way Fiyero was looking at her. Uh oh, she thought with a grimace. She knew that look. It was the look he got whenever he had a big, elaborate plan to cause trouble that usually landed them an inch away from getting expelled if Elphie didn’t save their arses. “Fifi,” she asked suspiciously, “What are you planning? Because whatever it is, I highly doubt it’s a good idea. I cannot get ‘almost expelled,’” she put exaggerated air quotes around the prince’s now infamous expression, “again. Momsie and Popsicle would kill me. Last time, they almost took away my credit card!” Galinda looked petrified at the thought.

Fiyero feigned a gasp. “Galinda Upland without her credit card?” he exclaimed. “Oh, the horror!” He doubled over laughing and Galinda scowled.

“It’s not funny!” She stomped her foot for emphasis. “If any part of whatever you’re planning in that crazy, trouble-making head of yours has the potential to land us within five feet of Horrible Morrible’s office, you can forget it,” she insisted stubbornly.

“Calm down, Glin!” Fiyero chided with an amused grin when he finally caught his breath. “For once, this plan has nothing to do with the old bat.”

Galinda’s brows shot up into her hairline in surprise. “It doesn’t?”

Fiyero smiled and shook his head, shaggy broken hair sweeping across his forehead. “Nope,” he grinned proudly. “All I was going to say was, why don’t we both take Fae out?”

Galinda’s mouth dropped to the floor. “What?” she squeaked, appalled. Her eyes were wide and bewildered. “How would that work? You just said we both can’t date her!”

“Exclusively,” he corrected. “No, we can’t. But she’s never dated before right?”

“Right…” Galinda confirmed, still finding no logic to this suggestion whatsoever.

“And she said she doesn’t know what she likes right?” the prince prompted again.

“So?”

“So, we show her. We each take her on a date, or two, and let her figure it out for herself.”

A small smile slid on the blondes face. “Okay…” she said slowly. “This might actually work.”

Fiyero smirked. “See? I can be smart sometimes.”

Galinda snorted and gave him a playful shove. “Yes, you can, Fifi.” Then her brows furrowed in sudden concern.

The prince’s triumphant grin drooped a bit when he noticed her suddenly somber face. “What? What did I miss?”

“N-nothing.” Galinda looked down and fiddled with the hem on her knee-length yellow dress. “It’s just... “ She looked up again , a hint of fear shining in her storm-colored gaze. “Fifi, what if… what if this gets weird?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, perplexed.

“Well what if she um, picks one of us and then… suddenly we can’t be friends anymore?” she asked timidly.

“That won’t happen!” Fiyero assured her, “You’re one of my best friends, Glin. I’d never let a girl ruin that!”

Galinda smiled hesitantly. Then she bit her lip. “N-not even Elphie?” she asked again. “I know how much you like her, Fifi, and I do too. I just don’t want it to ruin our friendship, if, no when, you lose,” she jested.

“When I lose?” Fiyero repeated. He was joking, but there was already a slight sharpness to his voice. It made Galinda nervous. They were both very competitive, and they both loved to win… but this time, one of them had to lose. It was just how this game worked. “How do you know it won’t be you?”

Galinda gulped and held up her hands in a white flag of surrender. “I was just kidding, Fifi!”

Fiyero’s gaze immediately softened. “Oh,” he flushed sheepishly.

Galinda raised a skeptical brow. “Now do you see what I mean?”

The prince bit his lip and stared at his hands, cheeks turning beet red. “Um... maybe,” he admitted.

“Good. So, I think, if we’re going to this, we need to establish some rules.”

Fiyero scrunched his nose in discontent and scoffed. “Ugh! Rules take the fun out of everything!” he sniffed.

“And they might be the only thing that keep us from being at each other’s throats over this,” the blonde reminded him, suddenly looking very stern.

The prince’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Alright, fine,” he agreed reluctantly. “What kind of ‘rules’?”

“Well…” Galinda chewed her lip in concentration as she thought. “First of all… Elphie can’t know we’re doing this. And she especially can’t know we’re doing it together.”

Fiyero nodded curtly. “Absolutely.”

“Second… we should each give a week between asking her out the first time. I can ask her out without suspicion because I’m her roommate, but you…” She smirked nonchalantly.

Her friend raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you don’t think I can be subtle?”

“Fiyero,” Galinda reminded him with a laugh, “You nearly ran her over the first day you got here!”

“Hey!” he protested, “That was my driver, not me!”

“Still…” the blonde smirked.

“Whatever.” He waved her off. “What’s the third rule?”

Galinda folded her hands daintily in front of her, grinning cunningly. “The third rule is simple, Fifi. No stealing each other’s date ideas. The point of this is for Elphie to decide which one of us she likes best. That means no outside help.”

“Pfft! That’s nothing. I know Fae better than anyone else in this school.”

Galinda quirked a brow and smiled. “Even me?” she challenged.

Fiyero was unfazed. He slapped the table and actually started to laugh. “Oh… oh, that’s funny, Glin!” he managed between spurts of laughter.

Galinda’s eyes narrowed and she squared her hands on her hips. “And what, pray tell, is so amusing about that? I am her roommate after all.”

Fiyero wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “You may be her roommate, Glinny, but even she said it, you’re entirely too girly. You’ll probably take her out to a sappy, romantic movie or something! She’d love that! NOT!” He collapsed into hysterics again.

“I know what she likes!” she huffed. “Besides, what about you, Mr. Dancing Through Life? What do you plan on doing about the fact that she says you’re too ‘relaxed’?” she spat back.

“I can be serious when I want too!” he insisted hotly.

Galinda rolled her eyes, “Yeah. Well, we’ll see about that,” she snarked.

“Yes,” Fiyero hissed, snatching his tray from the table and standing up abruptly. “We will.” And then he turned and stalked off into the hallway.

Galinda curled her hands into fists. Her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed. “Ok,” she retorted smugly. “If that’s how you want to play it.” A catlike, calculating smile snaked confidently along her face. She was sure she had nothing to worry about. “Then let the games… begin.”

  
**So…. thoughts so far? Love to hear what you think.**  


	2. First Come, First Serve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here’s chap 2! Sorry it took awhile, but I like how it came out :) Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I’m not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I’m just playing around with my favorite musical!

**2**

**First Come, First Serve**

Galinda sat at her vanity after classes let out that Friday night. She ran her favorite opal colored, engraved hairbrush through her luscious golden curls, wracking her brain as the stiff bristles untangled her knots. What was Elphie's perfect date?

If it had been up to Galinda, she would've planned a day at a luxurious spa, complete with facials, mud baths, and nice, long, deep tissue massages. The point of this little experiment wasn't to please herself though. No, her job was to make the day as special as possible for Elphaba. But what did that mean?

She concentrated hard and chewed her perfectly painted lip as she rubbed evening moisturizer on her already smooth skin. Without a doubt, she knew she wanted to pamper the green girl somehow. She'd gotten so little affection as a child after her mother died, and Galinda was determined to remedy that. As much as Elphaba pretended to hate it, Galinda had a hunch that a part of her, however small, was still starved for human interaction and attention that didn't involve people making fun of her emerald skin. She was also painfully aware, however, that the sorceress sincerely loathed excessive amounts of spotlight to be placed upon her. A whole spa worth of people catering to her every whim might be heaven for Galinda, but it would be an absolute nightmare for Elphaba.

She sighed. Okay, so a full-fledged beauty treatment was  _definitely_ out. But then, what could she do?

Just then, the dorm room door cracked open. The blonde smiled at her roommate's jade reflection in the mirror. "Hey, Elphie, how was the library? Did you and Fifi make any progress on that bothersome report of his?" she asked cheerfully.

"Uh, Galinda?" the green girl said uncertainly, and the blonde wasn't sure whether to take it as a question or a statement. Her brows scrunched together in confusion and she gently placed the brush back on the dresser. She swiveled toward her roommate and studied her striking jade features. Her chocolate eyes were dark and cautious, her raven brows were creased in thought, and the worry lines in her beautiful emerald forehead were clearly visible. She pushed her thinly rimmed navy glasses up on her nose. Her usually cherry red lips had been painted, (upon Galinda's insistence. Elphaba had said no way in Oz to her first choice, which, as the sorceress had predicted, was pick. The bubbly blonde, however, was just glad she was finally beginning to see the appeal of makeup, and so did not object when she opted for black.) and were now set in a straight, perplexed line.

"What is it, Elphie?" she asked curiously, "Why do you look so… confusified?"

Elphaba made her way over to her bed and sat down gently on top of the plan deep blue sheets, turning so she faced her roommate. Her shoulders moved up and down in a graceful motion as she shrugged. "I… don't really know," she confessed. "Something very… odd happened as Yero and I were leaving the library."

"What?" Galinda asked, tipping her head to the side.

Elphaba bit her lip and her gaze drifted to her lap. "I think… I think Fiyero was trying to… ask me out," she responded, the surprise and suspicion clear in her voice.

Galinda cursed under her breath.  _How_ had that sneaky little Vinkus prince planned something  _already_? They'd only come up with the idea yesterday afternoon! "He… did?" she hissed through gritted teeth, trying to force a laugh and appear calm and collected for Elphaba's sake. "What makes you think that?" she asked, before realizing how insulting it must sound. "I mean, not that its strange that someone would ask you out, you're gorgeous after all…"

 _Way to be inconspicuous you dolt!_ She mentally scolded herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Thankfully, Elphaba pretended not to notice the blush that creeped up her friend's pale cheeks. She glanced away before hurriedly continuing. "It's just… I mean. this is Fifi we're talking about!"

Elphaba laughed. "Exactly! That's why it was so strange. He told me he had a surprise for on Sunday, somewhere special he wants to take me. I asked where we were going, but he said he was pretty sure I'd never been there before." She raised a precarious eyebrow and her roommate who gulped (she hoped not audibly) and fiddled nervously with her hands. "And when I asked him if you were coming along, he said he only made a reservation for two." She skeptically continued to study her roommate, trying to gage her reaction. "Now why," she mused, pointedly locking eyes with Galinda, "do you suppose he would say  _that_?"

The blonde fought the urge to flinch under the green girl's steady gaze. Had they been found out so soon? And what in the  _world_ have Fiyero planned with such little notice? Had he broken the rules and caved to outside help  _already_? She hid a smirk. It wouldn't surprise her if he did. Asking Fiyero to actually work was like asking an Animal not to speak. It just wasn't going to happen. Still, she was dying to know what he'd done- and how much of the idea had actually been his. "Um..he wanted to take you out as an early birthday present?" she asked innocently.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Glin, it's April, my birthday's not for a month," she pointed out.

"Well,  _yeah_ ," she stressed with an eyeroll of her own. "But you know his parents always make him come back to Vinkus the first weekend in May since its the annual Spring Vinkus Ball! Of  _course_  he wants to take you out early!'" Did she have to teach Elphaba  _everything_? Oh, well. At least with this excuse, she wouldn't get caught.

"But a whole  _month_ early?" The witch raised a skeptical eyebrow and Galinda's palms begin to sweat a but. She hoped her observant friend wouldn't call her bluff! Alas, she was  _very_ attentive to the Vinkus prince's habits.

"I love Yero," the witch smiled good naturedly, "but you and I both know he's not one to plan things out in advance. Remember the Ozdust party?" she queried. "That took, what, four hours? Or the Casino Night out at Avaric's- though that did pretty much turn into a massive drinking game. How many did you have that night, Glin? Six? Eight?" She chuckled. "Boy am I glad I didn't listen when Yero told me to let you be the designated driver! I had to practically  _drag_ you back up here!" Elphaba stifled a snort as she held her stomach and cackled at the memory.

Galinda crossed her arms and stomped her perfectly manicured foot for emphasis as she gently threw one of her many handheld ornate mirrors at her friend. "Gee, thanks, Elphie." She huffed and stuck her tongue out. The green girl sat up and took a few deep breaths.

"Sorry," she apologized, but her eyes were sparkling in amusement. She picked up the mirror and rubbed at a tender spot where it had nicked her just before settling on the bed. "Jeez, this thing is hard!" she exclaimed. "What, is it  _real_  silver or something?"

"Yes…" the bubbly blonde answered, completely oblivious to the emerald sorceress attempt at a joke. "Why would it not be?"

Elphaba mentally smacked herself.  _Of course_ the Uplands would send their daughter a dozen  _real_ silver mirrors to keep in a  _college dorm_. She shook her head and hid a rueful grin. "No reason, Glin." Then she sat up a little straighter and moved to change the subject as Galinda shrugged and went back to brushing her long, aurelian curls. "But, seriously though,  _what_ is Fiyero up to, asking me out like that? It's just so… weird!"

"Why does he have to be  _up_ to anything? Friends can't take friends out for some fun every once in a while?" Galinda asked innocently. Inside, she was kicking herself.  _Why am I encouraging this?_ she wondered. I _want to date her too! And I can't do that if Fifi wins her over first!_

It was true, she  _couldn't_ go out with Elphaba if she decided she liked boys after dating Fiyero. But, if they got caught,  _neither_ of them would have a chance with her, and  _that_ was just  _not_ an option.

She cringed inwardly when she pictured Elphaba's face if she found out that they were competing for her… in a sense, anyway. She  _really_ didn't want to make Elphie mad, but she was in too deep to back down now. All she could hope for was that her emerald roommate didn't suspect anything until she chose one of them for herself.

"Yes…" Elphaba mused thoughtfully, "they can. It's just, usually we all…" Suddenly, she glimpsed her roommate's pensive expression in the mirror. Her eyes tapered into slits and she glared dubiously at the petite blonde. " _Galinda,_ what are you up to?"

The blonde bit her lip, but attempted to put on a blasie expression. "What do you mean, Elphie?"

"This 'date...' She put air quotes around the word and watched for any change in her friend's expression. Galinda managed to keep her facial features steady, but her heart was thudding in her chest as Elphaba continued talking. "Yesterday, you and Fiyero asked me which one of you I'd rather go out with…" She trailed off and her eyes widened in horrific disbelief. "Galinda, you're not… I mean… you two wouldn't… You're not  _competing_ for me..  _right_?" There was a harsh edge to her voice, but it quivered a bit too, as if she were afraid of the answer, and for a minute, Galinda worried she might actually start crying if she knew the truth.

The blonde caught her lip between her teeth and chewed anxiously. For one fleeting moment, she debated spilling the beans then and there.  _This isn't a game to Elphie,_ she realized.  _Doing this could really hurt her._

But, if she told the truth, where would that leave them?

Right back at square one, that's where. Except it would be worse, because Elphaba not only wouldn't want to date them, she'd be  _furious_ at them. She might not even want to hang out with them anymore. For a clock-tick, Galinda regretted ever listening to Fiyero and his crazy idea. But… she wanted a chance to date Elphie. And the only way she was going to get it was if she went through with this. So, as much as it made her stomach churn, the blonde rolled back her shoulders and masked her doubts with false nonchalance. She flipped back her hair and giggled lightly. "Oh, Elphie, of course not!" She waved the green girl off as though it was the most preposterous thing she'd ever heard. "What would ever give you  _that_ idea?"

Elphaba let out a long whoosh of air and chuckled breathily. Glin was right, she was just being silly. After all, Yero hadn't made a formal invite or anything, he'd just said he had a fun surprise to show her. There wasn't anything unusual about that; Fiyero  _loved_ surprises, Last year he'd thrown a giant surprise party to celebrate Doctor Dillamond's promotion to head of the History department. Elphaba had been just as shocked.

"Since when did  _you_ start caring about that 'old Goat' as you call him?" she'd asked, when she'd arrived at the same time as the professor and they'd both been pleasantly started out of their wits.

"I don't," he'd responded slyly, to which the green girl had given him a pointed push. "At least, not any more than usual. But," he'd shrugged playfully, "any excuse for a party.  _And_ a chance to give someone a good, old fashioned surprise."

Elphaba smiled at the memory. "I don't know," she finally relented with a sheepish grin. "Maybe I was just being silly."

Galinda grinned brightly. relieved to have avoided the narrow catch. This might be a little harder than she thought. "Of course, you silly goose. You're going to go and have fun,  _as friends_ ," she emphasized. "Nothing to it! Except… what are you going to  _wear_?'

The sorceress chuckled. "How did I know you were going to ask that? Only  _you_ would be worried about finding an outfit for a  _Sunday date_ on a  _Friday_." She rolled her eyes.

The small blonde put a hand to her heart and pretended to be offended. "Elphie!" she gasped. "You wound me!"

Elphaba held up her hands in a white- green- flag of surrender. "Relax, Glin," she chided with a twinkle in her eye, "I was just kidding."

Galinda stuck out her tongue and flashed a cheeky grin. "I know," she told her. "But seriously, what you wear is  _super_ important. Did he say anything about this  _mysterious destination_  he's taking you to? Is it fancy? Casual? Warm? Cold?"

The witch shrugged and bit back a laugh at her friend's enthusiasm. "I don't know, Glin. He just said 'Dress comfy, and come hungry.'"

"Hmph!" the blonde huffed. She was secretly miffed she didn't know what Fifi had planned. What if his ideas were better than hers? Hell, she  _had_ no ideas yet!  _What_ was that boy up to?

She shook those thoughts away and sighed. That was one of their rules; no idea-thieving. She'd just have to come of with something Oztastic for Elphie on her own. "Well, that's not much help," she quipped, slumping a bit in her chair.

Elphaba laughed and shook her head. "You're right, it's not." She sighed, and suddenly a light bulb went on. "Tell you what, Glin," she proposed. "I'll see what I can get out of him tomorrow during Sorcerers versus Witches, and I'll let you know everything the minute I get back, deal?"

Galinda beamed. "Deal!"

* * *

 

**For anyone who's not familiar with the game, Sorcerers versus Witches is something I made up based on a game we play at my uni, Humans versus Zombies. Basically, everyone has a nerf gun. and ppl wear 2 different colored bandana, one for zombie and one for humans. All week the Zombies try to "capture" members of the other team by shooting them with the nerf gun, thus changing a Human to a Zombie. At night they have like bigger 'quests' in the gym. Team with the most members at the end wins. Lol, it's… interesting.**


	3. Mister Romeo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this took so long, its my first attempt at any kind of date or real Fiyeraba fluff, but I really like it. Also, instead of saying "Dress comfy and wear good shoes" I changed it so Fiyero told Ephie to "Dress comfy and come hungry," you'll see why :) enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!

 

**3**

**Mister Romeo**

"Jeans?" Galinda looked positively horrified as her roommate held out a pair of light, washed-denim pants for her to inspect. She turned her nose up in disgust as she fingered the coarse fabric. "Elphie, you can't wear _jeans_ on a date!"

The green girl laughed. "Well, why not? He said dress comfy; jeans are comfy."

"Yes…" The blonde sighed and shook her head in contempt. Did Elphaba have no sense of fashion _at all?_ "But they're also really _casual,_ " she stressed.

"And?" Elphaba raised her eyebrows. "It's not like this is a _real_ date, it's Yero for Oz's sake! Even you said as much on Friday, remember?"

At that admission, Galinda's ears perked up and she hid a smile as she turned to rummage through the witch's wardrobe. Elphie didn't see Fifi as a date! Maybe she should just let her wear the jeans, that way Fiyero would see she wasn't trying to impress him, and he might give up…

The blonde quickly shook that thought away. Fiyero and Elphaba were her friends, and no matter how much she wanted the green girl for herself, she wouldn't sabotage her friend's chances to have her. She sighed and turned around, holding up a simple black cocktail dress. " _And_ , I know how much guys like it when you dress up for them, even if they don't admit it."

The sorceress huffed, but stayed silent as Galinda gestured to the tight-fitting garment.

"How 'bout this?"

The emerald girl contorted her features and snorted. "Oh, no way, Glin. A. that looks hideous on me, and B. Yero said _comfy._ A cocktail dress is _not_ comfy."

The heiress stomped her foot in frustration. " _Nothing_ could look hideous on _you,_ Elphie," she protested. "And who said dresses aren't comfy? I think they are!"

"Yeah, well, _you_ actually have a figure to fill them out. _I_ look like a celery stalk."

"Elphie! You do _not_!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and snatched the dress from her over-enthusiastic roommate, tossing it back in her closet and exchanging it for a pair of tan capris. "These," she decided. "These, I will wear."

Galinda wrinkled her nose. "Ugh. But those are so… brown."

Elphaba narrowed her eyes and shoved her playfully. "I _like_ brown," she retorted. Now, are you going to help me, or not?"

Begrudgingly, Galinda helped her roommate tie her thick raven locks into a simple ponytail. They compromised on the outfit, Elphie's pants with a short-sleeved, crisp white polo Galinda insisted upon. Elphaba also let the blonde apply the tiniest bit of lip gloss and mascara, but outright refused eyeshadow and blush. Galinda tried to talk her into it, but Elphaba stood her ground. She was just slipping her left foot into its shoe when there was a knock at the door. Galinda jumped up to get it.

"Hey, Fifi," she greeted, forcing a smile despite the seed of jealousy grumbling in her stomach at the prospect of not knowing where he was taking her green girl.

"Hi, Glin," Fiyero beamed. "Is Fae here?"

Galinda give his outfit a quick once-over, inwardly smirking when she realized he had come in his usual Shiz sports jersey and ripped jeans. _Not much effort for a date, though_ she thought with a coy smile. "Sure," she grinned. "She's right-"

"Hi, Yero." Elphaba strode up behind her roommate, coming up next to the blonde and leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey, Fae…" he paused and shifted awkwardly between his feet. His gaze drifted to the patterned carpet and his stomach knotted. He could feel beads of sweat start to trickle down his forehead and hurriedly wiped them away with the back of his hand. Why was he suddenly so nervous? Elphaba wasn't a stranger. She was his best friend. They did things together all the time. This wasn't any different than the last time they all went out.

Except, last time, Galinda had come with them, and Fiyero wasn't stressing out about whether or not his plans would impress her.

The prince put a hand behind his head and tried to even out his breathing. There was no reason to freak out, he assured himself. Elphaba would love what he'd planned. He hoped. Fiyero let out a deep breath and slowly raised his head to meet the green girl's sable gaze. He tried to mutter out a sentence, but his brain seemed to have forgotten how to form words. Instead, his mouth hung limp as a codfish as he stared at the witch. She wasn't dressed any different than usual, but something about her... She seemed to glow in the late afternoon sunlight. The slightest bit of mascara accentuated her eyes in the best way, making them shine like the brightest of cats-eye gems. Fiyero was speechless. "I… uh… I… er…"

"Yero?" Elphaba gave him a quizzical look. "You alright?"

Fiyero blinked and suddenly came back to his senses. "Wha…? Oh, I'm fine." He smiled nervously. "I… um... I like your hair," he fumbled.

Elphaba blushed and self consciously stroked her newly conditioned ponytail as her cheeks tinted a few shades darker. "Thanks," she murmured shyly.

Galinda shot him daggers from behind the green girl's back.

Fiyero threw a smug look at the heiress before focusing back on his date. "Of course, Fae." He offered up a megawatt smile. "Ready to go?"

The sorceress grinned and took his outstretched hand. She stepped over the threshold and glanced back toward the blonde. "See ya tonight, Glin. Don't throw a rager while we're gone!"

Galinda gritted her teeth as she watched the way Fiyero's fingers brushed delicately against her roommate's as they walked, but she squelched the flame of jealousy slowly igniting inside her and managed a chipper smile. "Have fun, you two!" she called out with a little wave.

"Oh, don't worry," Fiyero threw a barely noticeable, competitive smirk over his shoulder, "we will."

* * *

As they stepped out into the early spring air, a light breeze blew at the few wisps of hair dangling from the green girl's tightly secured updo. Fiyero led her down the path to an ornately decorated, pearl while, pumpkin shaped carriage with his initials engraved in gold on the door. He sauntered ahead and held the door for her. "After you, m'lady." He made a show of bowing ostentatiously.

Elphaba stifled a laugh as she made her way to the cart. "Seriously, Yero?" she asked, her eyebrow perched in askance.

The prince flushed a deep red as he helped her into the carriage and climbed in after. "What?" He shrugged and, thankfully, had the decency to look sheepish.

The witch gestured to the velvet covered seats and solid gold door handles as the driver clucked the two black stallions guiding the vehicle into action. "What is this?"

"What's what?" he asked, trying to appear nonchalant. He'd meant to impress her, but considering where they were going, he was beginning to see what Westley- the driver- meant when he casually suggested his choice of transportation might have been just a _wee_ bit overdone.

"You said we were going on a _casual_ outing," she chided. "This is _not_ casual."

The Vinkin's gaze met his shoes as he muttered curses under his breath. He should've known better than to try his usual sweep-a-woman-off-her feet tricks on Elphaba. Elphaba was anything but usual.

It was one of the things he loved most about her. "Well… I, um…" he stammered.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and sighed. "What happened to the chariot thing you rode in on the first day of school?"

Fiyero shrugged. "After my grades went to all Cs and one B last semester- Thanks for that, by the way. The tutoring I mean…" _Dammit, Tiggular! Get it together!_ To his relief, Elphaba simply smiled and dismissed it.

"It was nothing."

"No, it wasn't!" the prince protested. "That was the first B I've _ever_ gotten."

The sorceress stared at him incredulously. "Ever?"

"Ever." he affirmed.

The green girl didn't believe him. Fiyero may be brainless and forgetful most times, and he may hate to study, but he certainly wasn't stupid. "Like… since the beginning of kindergarten ever?"

The prince nodded curtly. "Ever."

" _Wow."_ Elphaba shook her head and Fiyero felt his cheeks burn. Why were they even talking about grades anywho? This _was not_ how this was supposed to go.

"Yeah…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Anyway, Mom and Dad were so happy when my reports came in that they agreed to give me back some of home's amenities."

The sorceress laughed, "And this was one of them?"

Fiyero smiled guiltily. "Well.."

Elphaba bit her lip to hide a grin. "What, was the other a maid?" she jested.

The Vinkin shifted uncomfortably. "Er…" he began, coughing in slight embarrassment as his gaze darted around the carriage, "actually…"

"Fiyero Liir Tiggular!" the green girl scolded, and the prince grimaced when she lightly whacked his arm. "Do you mean to tell me your parents actually sent you a _maid_ just for not failing school?" she queried in amused disbelief.

The prince nodded timidly.

"Sweet Oz," the witch muttered with bemusement.

"In my defense," Fiyero piped up, "I _am_ a prince."

Elphaba snorted. "Yeah, a prince who's too lazy to go to college by himself, apparently."

Fiyero stiffened. "Hey!"

Elphaba held up her hands and grinned cheekily. "Relax, Yero, I was just kidding!"

"Oh." The prince's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Though I _would_ appreciate a little warning next time you decide to go all princely on me, okay?" Her gaze scanned the carriage once more and she let out a long puff of air. "Had I known we were taking this princess's prison-"

"Fae," he chided, and she simply tipped her head at him.

"I wouldn't have dressed so much like a," she fingered her corduroys and cursed herself for not listening to Galinda, "Like a vagabond," she finished dryly.

"Hey," Fiyero objected. "You always look like a princess to me, Fae."

Elphaba sucked in her breath as her eyes widened in shock. Fiyero kicked himself at her befuddled expression. _Way to be subtle!_ "Um… that is… I mean.." At that moment, the carriage came to a screeching stop and Westley swung the door open. "Prince Fiyero, Mistress Elphaba." He gestured grandly, "We're here."

* * *

Elphaba's face was a mask of puzzled astonishment as she scrutinized the room before her. They'd come to a stop in front of the Ozian Cooking School for Chefs in Training, nicknamed the Emerald Elephant by its students because of their mascot- a jade pachyderm that appeared to be sitting in a meditation pose with an emerald jewel in the center of its forehead. What that logo had to do with cooking, the witch hadn't the slightest idea. The location left the green girl utterly perplexed, but Fiyero just offered a sly smile and encouraged her to follow him. The room they landed in however, only succeeded in heightening her confusion.

Five completely stainless steel kitchens were scattered about the room. Between two and four people were milling about each station. Bright green aprons had been tied over their clothes, and each group had a wet cloth that they used to wipe down the aquamarine, granite countertops. The instructor stood at the front of the room, clad a crisp white chef's coat and black pants as she surveyed her new crop of students. Her auburn hair was secured tightly behind her head, not a strand out of place. Her features were stern and focused, but there was an enthusiastic sparkle in her eye as she glanced at the clock, waiting for it to strike seven so the class could begin.

"Fiyero?" Elphaba hissed from the side of her mouth. "What are we doing here?"

The prince's heart hammered in his chest. The nonchalant smile plastered on his face begin to twitch slightly, and he wiped his clammy hands on his pants, trying not to let her see through his confident facade. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, pointing to the chalkboard where the instructor was currently writing their recipe for the night- Dulche de Leche cheesecake. "We're making you a birthday cake."

Elphaba gaped at him, not quite believing that flowed from his lips, despite the sincerity evident in them. "Come again?"

The Vinkin shrugged. "Well, it is your birthday soon, is it not?"

The sorceress nodded slowly, uncertainty still playing in her features. The last time she'd had a real birthday cake… It had been her third birthday, just a month before her mother had given birth to Nessa, and her life had been forever altered as she was burdened with her father's constant scorn for supposedly killing his true love, even though _he_ had been the one to make her chew those accursed Milk Flowers in the first place. "In a month…" she trailed off in bewilderment.

"And cheesecake is your most favorite dessert, right?" he queried, unable to hide the smug smile playing on his lips.

Again, the sorceress nodded wordlessly. "But how did you…?"

"Remember?" he finished with a cheeky grin.

Elphaba raised an inquisitive brow.

"I pay attention more than you think, Fae. You and Glin don't give me nearly enough credit."

The green girl shook her head ruefully. "Guilty," she admitted. Then she motioned around the bustling classroom, her befuddlement returning. "But, Yero, a _cooking_ class? I've never seen you cook _anything_ in your _life_ ; not even microwave mac n' cheese!" she laughed.

"Hey!" the prince defended. "Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it never happened."

The witch gave an indignant eye roll. "Yero, your parents just sent you a _maid_ , and you expect me to believe you can cook a _cheesecake_ by yourself?" She raised a doubtful eyebrow and the Vinkin chuckled.

"Okay, okay, point taken," he conceded. "But that's why I thought we could do this together. I can count on one hand the times I've seen you treat yourself to a sweet or two in the last three years-"

"But, what about-" Elphaba started.

"Fruit doesn't count, Fae," Fiyero deadpanned as he leveled their gazes.

The sorceress threw him a steely glare, but Fiyero paid little mind.

"Besides, you're such a good cook and-"

"How would you know what kind of cook I am? I've never made anything for you before," she interrupted.

The prince shrugged. "Nessa told me how you used to cook for her and Frex all the time, Fae. And the things she said about your double chocolate fudge cake you make her every birthday?" Fiyero's eyes twinkled mischievously as he licked his lips in anticipation. "I may have to put in a request of my own for one of those come August." He winked.

Elphaba shoved him playfully. "Whatever you say, Yero," she obliged. "But that still doesn't explain what we're doing here."

Fiyero looked down and shuffled his feet. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I just thought it might be fun." His heart rate begin to speed up again, and he hoped she didn't think his idea was a total dud. "Didn't you ever go to one when you were younger?" he asked.

"A cooking class?" Fiyero nodded and Elphaba shook her head sadly. "No," she sighed. "Most of what I know, I taught myself, or the baker would give me occasional tips. But…" She shrugged and smiled softly. "I never did learn how to make cheesecake."

Fiyero beamed and pulled her forward. Well, then," he encouraged, "here's our chance to figure it out together."

The green girl snorted. "Yeah," she muttered ruefully. "Provided we don't burn down the kitchen first."

Fiyero shot her a mock glare and she smirked.

At their station, Elphaba re-tied her hair and Fiyero helped her strap on an apron. "It's a good thing I'm wearing colored clothes under here," she teased as she picked at the flimsy fabric. "Otherwise this apron is so close to the color of my skin, people might think I'm naked and start sprinting the other way."

Fiyero chuckled as he tightened the strings in the back before grabbing one off the rack for himself. "You look beautiful in anything, Fae." he smiled.

The sorceress snorted and swatted him with a dish towel. "Yeah, right."

"It's true!" the prince persisted stubbornly.

Elphaba said nothing, simply turning forward to face the instructor. Fiyero sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his sandy locks.

"Alright, students," The teacher clapped her hands together briskly and the sharp noise echoed of the walls and snapped the class to attention. "Tonight we will be making Dulce de Leche cheesecake. This dessert comes from a mix of Munchkin roots and a Quadling tradition- the three milks cake, a holiday favorite…"

Elphaba was thoroughly enraptured by the chef's lecture, but Fiyero found his mind beginning to wander. He studied the green girls features as she feverishly took notes per the teacher's instructions. He saw the familiar crease of her brows as she tried to memorize each step, the same definite emerald wrinkle prominent in her forehead as when she was cramming for a large exam. She forever doubted herself before big tests, though she always managed to pass with flying colors. She had a determination unlike any Fiyero had ever come across when it came to her studies. The prince assumed it had something to do with her father Frex, and how he'd bullied Elphaba into thinking the only way she could do anything of worth was to be an impeccable student. Inspite of such cruel motivation however, Fiyero enjoyed watching the green girl study. It was the only time she seemed to relax, that her hardened defenses weren't built up so tall they could reach the tower of the Time Dragon Clock. She was most at home surrounded by books, soaking up knowledge like a sponge to water.

Fiyero supposed that was one reason he'd chosen to bring her to such an unlikely place for a date. He knew anything too romantic would send her running for the hills, but he wouldn't deny himself this opportunity to offer her a treat. He'd pondered the perfect venue choice for hours, but nothing seemed quite right. It was only when she was helping him with his latest history essay that he realized it. The biggest treat to give a girl like Elphaba was knowledge. As he continued to watch her face, he noticed the familiar sparkle that lit her beautiful sable eyes- like he could see the wheels over her mind turning in excitement. Her lightly glossed lips parted slightly, as they always did when she was deeply immersed in her tasks. The Vinkin prince grinned, glad that his idea appeared to have enticed the hard-to-read sorceress.

"Fiyero?" Elphaba turned toward him with a befuddled expression. He had a dreamy, faraway look in his eyes, as if his head was somewhere else entirely. "Fiyero!'

The prince blinked, jolted from his blissful fantasy as the kitchen came back into focus. "Huh? What? What'd I do?"

The witch rolled her eyes indulgently. "Get your head out of the clouds Mister Dancing Through Life," she snorted. "We need to make this crust."

Fiyero flashed her a mock-confident grin. "Crust, right!" Then he glanced down and flushed sheepishly. "Er... How do we do that?"

The green girl rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Yero, don't you _ever_ pay attention in class?" she huffed.

He gave her a bewildered look that seemed to say _Uh, no, duh!_ "Not when you're around to distract me," he shot back coyly. As soon as the sentiment left his mouth however, he clamped his lips shut and could practically feel his ears reddening. Where had _that_ comment come from?

In return, Elphaba only sneered. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me this green skin is _still_ shocking after three years of knowing me."

Fiyero's eyes widened in slight alarm, hoping she was only kidding. "No!" he rushed to reassure her and the witch gave him a strange look at the sudden outburst. Ozdamnit, why did he feel so jumpy all of a sudden? "I mean…" he chuckled nervously. "You're cute when you study," he mumbled before his senses could catch up to his emotions.

Elphaba's whipped around to face him, nearly dropping the teaspoon full of ground cinnamon she was dumping into a metal bowl. "E- excuse me?" she choked out. "Did you just call me _cute_?"

Fiyero coughed. "Well… you are!" he insisted.

The witch's cheeks colored as she continued mixing ingredients. "Yero," she sighed. "We've been over this. Green is _not_ a 'cute' color."

The prince shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "To me it is," he whispered.

The green girl sucked in her breath, but was too shocked to say anything.

Fiyero winced at the air of discomfort oozing from his friend's every poor. Her shoulders were hunched and suddenly tense, and she watched him with a guarded gaze out of the corner of her eye. He huffed and mentally kicked himself.

Alright, so maybe this wasn't the right time for beauty compliments. In an effort to ease the tension, the prince shuffled a bit closer and asked tentatively, "What can I do to help?"

Without looking up, Elphaba tossed him a bag of partially crushed graham crackers. "I thought I had enough," she mumbled distractedly, "but could you crush the rest of those for me?"

Fiyero let out a puff of air, mentally punching himself for scaring her off, but picked up the bag and did as he was asked.

As for Elphaba, her mind was reeling. Had Fiyero, her best friend, and the crowned prince of Vinkus, actually called her _cute_?

No, not quite. He'd said she was cute when she _studied._ Her brows furrowed as she replayed that comment over in her mind. What did that even mean? Was she only attractive when she was focused on something? She looked good other times… right?

The green girl shook her head. No, of course not; she was green, after all, and green was _not_ attractive. Still… why did her stomach suddenly feel like it was somersaulting up her throat when he said that? And why did a part of her want so desperately to hear it again? Before she could contemplate these puzzling and unfamiliar feelings any longer, she heard the sound of the plastic bag full of crumbs splitting open.

"Uh…" the prince trailed off.

Elphaba sighed and quickly rinsed her hands in the sink before coming over to inspect the damage. Sure enough, crumbs were lightly dusting almost the entire top half of the counter. She rolled her eyes and shook her head hopelessly at Fiyero, who offered her a lopsided grin. "I told you to _crush_ them, Yero," she mock-scolded. "Not _pulverise_ them."

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. Their hands brushed for the slightest of seconds as he helped her scoop up the graham cracker dust. Elphaba resisted the urge to inch away, instead studying the bowl and squishing the crust mixture together before spreading it out in the bottom of the pan.

"I.. it's okay." She smiled hesitantly and tried to hide her sudden skittishness- That was odd. Since when was she skittish around _Fiyero?_ \- as she pulled on mitts and stuck the pan in the preheated oven to bake. "Just be more careful next time," she tried to insert her signature sarcasm once more.

Fiyero smirked. "I'll try."

Elphaba swatted at him with the mitt.

They then started in on the filling. Fiyero insisted on cracking the eggs, but the witch had to rush him to a screeching halt when he almost did it over the half-completed batter. "In a separate bowl," she chided. "In case there's shell so we don't have to start over."

Their fingers touched again when they both reached for the dulche de leche mixture and a pleasant shiver shot up the prince's spine when Elphaba's hand lingered just a second longer instead of her snatching it away. They locked gazes, and Fiyero swore he could feel an electric spark ignite between them. But, as quickly as the moment came, it passed. Finally, everything was in the bowl, and the green girl went to fetch the crust from the oven while the Vinkin gave it one last mix.

"Don't turn the mixer up too high," she cautioned as she slipped the fire-proof oven mitts back on and bent down to open the oven.

Fiyero sighed, looking at the lumpy mixture with disdain. Patience was not his strong suit, but he flicked the machine on low. It was only 30 seconds before he decided this was _definitely_ not going to work, as the last few ingredients were barely incorporated. He turned it up a little, and some flecks of batter fluttered out onto the counter. He sighed in exasperation, turning to watch as the green girl carefully slid the glass baking dish out of the oven. Once she was sure it was firmly in her grasp, she slowly pushed up from her squatting position, careful not to let the searing hot pan come in contact with her bare skin.

The prince turned back to the batter and frowned. It was still full of lumps. He wanted it to be smooth and silky by the time Elphaba came back with the cooled crust, otherwise they'd be standing around and waiting _forever._ And worse, Fiyero knew that waiting meant cleaning. He flicked the switch on the mixer again, skipping right past the "high" setting and heading straight for the farthest setting to the front of the machine, figuring the higher the speed, the faster things would go and the less waiting and cleaning he'd have to do.

Big mistake.


	4. Kitchen Catastrophe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And… the date goes sour! Enjoy! Oh, if any of you are interested, I started a Wicked Fanfiction group on FB, and we need participates for our first contest- A valentine's Day fic contest! There's a link to the group on my profile, come join us!
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not Gregory MaGuire, Stephen Schwartz or any of the amazing people who made Wicked possible, I'm just playing around with my favorite musical!

 

**4**

**Kitchen Catastrophe**

"Oh,  _shit!_ " It was only when Fiyero got slapped in the face by flour and spat a shockingly cold, but surprisingly tasty, chunk of batter out of his mouth that he realized his mistake. "No. No, no,  _no_!" Bits of dough flew everywhere; on the cabinets, atop the counters, in his previously perfectly slicked back hair. A blob even landed on the instructor's pristinely white chef's coat. If looks could kill, the glare he received from the usually high-spirited teacher combined with the daggers he could feel Elphaba shooting through his back would've laid him flat in less than thirty seconds. The prince cringed as the two powerful women bellowed his name.

" _Master Tiggular_!"

" _Fiyero_!"

Air seemed to billow from the enraged instructor's nostrils like smoke from a high-flaming fire as she stalked toward their station. "What the blazes did you just  _do_?" she snapped, her eyes flashing as she gazed around her once immaculate kitchen, now covered in powder so fine it looked like snow. Globs of partially formed cheesecake stuck to every surface: the stove, the sinks, the oven doors.

Fiyero cringed as he looked around- with the mixture still spewing ingredients rapid-fire mind you- and noticed nearly every student in the rectangular room had dangerously narrowed their eyes and aimed them in his direction as they did their best to smooth clumps of batter out of their now tangled and mussed hair. One girl with a particularly voluminous crop of red curls that were now especially caked with batter looked about ready to wrench the nearest butcher knife out of its holder and slit his throat right then. The prince gulped audibly and backed up against the counter.

The next three events happened in such quick session that, had Fiyero blinked once, he might have missed them. Even witnessing it firsthand, he could hardly believe what he'd seen.

When he leaned into the granite, he heard a metallic  _clang_ as his back came in contact with cool metal. The mixture toppled to the floor just as their teacher reached down to yank the cord from the wall, but not before a large puff of flour shot from the bowl and exploded onto everything around it. Fiyero ducked beneath the countertop just in time to avoid the chalky cloud, but that sent it vaulting toward Elphaba. The Vinkin grimaced and reached out his hand, as if expecting to grab the dust out of thin air and stop it from spreading any further. "Fae look-" he shouted. Elphaba whipped her head around just in time to get smacked with a massive gust of white flour.

Elphaba felt something cold and wet splatter on her back and into her hair. She tensed and carefully placed the hot glass pan on the nearby island as she slowly reached back to identify the slimy blob. But before she could reach it, another was chucked at the back of her head, it's contents slowly sliding down her neck and splatting onto the back of her once crisp shirt. And another. And another.

_Oh, great,_ she thought.  _What has he gotten himself into now?_

She heard Fiyero call her name, but didn't realize it was a word of caution  _not_ to turn, but to duck and cover instead. She swiveled to see him, only to come in contact face first with an aggressively timed  _splat_ of white, fluffy powder.

The green girl felt herself hacking up a lung as those pesky little particles lodged themselves in her throat. She bent over, sputtering and spitting a multitude of colorful curses before she was finally able to catch her breath.

When she could take in air without feeling as though she was going to strangle herself, she popped her sable eyes open, paying no attention to the flour that flecked off her features at that action. Her chocolate irises were now dark with unmistakable annoyance as she marched over to the prince. She planted her hands firmly on her dough splattered hips and arched one precarious eyebrow.

"Care to explain what in Oz that was, Tiggular?" she mused, tapping her toe impatiently against the tile.

The Vinkin turned crimson, his gaze meeting the floor in embarrassment before he fixed her with his best set of puppy-dog eyes. "Uh… I'm sorry?" he ventured, casually rubbing his hand behind his neck and chewing his lip under her dubious frown.

Elphaba sighed loudly and rolled her eyes before facing the instructor. "I'm terribly sorry Miss," she apologized, "I'm not entirely certain, but this may be his first time in an actual kitchen. He really doesn't have a clue as to what he's doing."

"Hey!" Fiyero objected. The sorceress pointedly ignored him and kept her gaze on the teacher.

The instructor pursed her lips and flicked another piece of batter off her clothing. "Yes," she retorted in a thick accent, "that much is obvious." Fiyero flinched at the disdain in her tone.  _This_ certainly wasn't going to win him any brownie points with his date. He ran a dismayed hand down his face and started to stumble through an apology.

"Ma'am I-" The witch turned on him and he snapped his mouth shut upon seeing her steely expression.  _Keep quiet_ , it seemed to say,  _I got this._

The prince hung his head and sighed, but decided it best to obey rather than angering his friend even further.  _Get it together, brainless!_ Why, oh why, didn't he just have the patience to suck it up and wait for the batter to mix the way she told him?

_Because waiting sucks,_ his pesky little devil chided.

"Yeah," he snorted. Waiting did suck, but he certainly wasn't about to make  _that_ mistake again.

_Next time, I won't question her. I'll do exactly as she says and nothing's going to get messed up again._

_No you won't_ the voice chided.  _You don't have the patience for that._

"Oh, shut up," he groused, kicking away a chunk of dough with the toe of his boot and slipping his hands in his pockets.

"Look," Elphaba was saying, "If you just explain what happened, I bet I can get this mess cleaned up."

The chef scoffed. "Well, from what I saw, your 'boyfriend' here-"

Elphaba blinked and stepped back a bit, shaking her locks vigorously. "My  _what?"_ She tossed Fiyero a bewildered look. "Oh no," she held up her hands in a "keep away" gesture. "He's not my-"

"He  _destroyed_ my new apron!" griped one girl as she cut Elphaba off mid sentence. The witch swiveled toward the voice, resisting the urge to laugh at the sight of a brunette about twelve years of age who was absolutely covered from head to toe in goop.

"Oh," she sniggered and hid a smile behind her hand. "I'm- I'm sorry," she sputtered before a cackle bubbled its way from her lips. The brunette harrumphed and stalked back toward her station.

"Yeah, so you say," she retorted.

Elphaba swallowed another chuckle. "Really I-"

"Well, he almost made  _me_ drop my crust!" huffed a sixteen-year-old blonde.

"This was my mom's cake! I was going to bring it to her tonight! She has to spend her birthday in the hospital!" yelled a seventeen-year-old boy who was so mad he was red as the darkest wine. Elphaba cringed upon seeing his almost completed creation was now covered in batter.

"ENOUGH!" the instructor shouted, and the room immediately went silent. "Good." She turned back toward the witch and schooled her features as she let out a long breath and pointed toward the prince. "Now," Fiyero coward and felt his face go red under her penetrating gaze, "I don't care what you call him, but that  _boy-"_

"Prince, actually," he corrected with a smug smile. Elphaba glowered at him.

"Not. Helping," she hissed.

Fiyero gulped. "Sorry, Fae," he whispered. He could have sworn the corners of the instructor's mouth curled upward at the exchange, but she cleared her throat and did her best to hide it.

"Excuse me," she coughed pointedly. "Prince."

Fiyero bowed and winked at Elphaba behind the chef's back. The green girl bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Quit it, Tiggular," she shushed playfully. "You're going to get us kicked out!"

The prince simply shrugged and grinned cheekily. Elphaba swatted at him with a dishtowel before turning forward again.

"It doesn't matter  _what_  his title is," the chef opened her arms and panned a disguised glance around the room, "he all but  _ruined_  my spotless kitchen in a matter of seconds, and you're telling me you can return it to its previous condition in the same amount of time?" She arched a disbelieving brow and crossed her arms resolutely over her chest.

"Yes ma'am," the sorceress confirmed, looking her straight in the eye.

"Oh,  _really_?" she challenged, "And how do you propose to accomplish such a feat?"

"I'm a sorceress, Madame. Well, sorceress-in-training, technically," the witch replied smoothly, her gaze never shifting. "As long as you can verify that nothing has been broken, I think I know a simple spell that should have your kitchen back in order in just a few clock-ticks."

The redhead eyed the pair suspiciously, wondering whether or not she should believe this oddly skinned woman and the prince who had a reputation so scandalous all of Oz knew his name. She was about to deny them, but one more glance around the disheveled workroom proved theirs wasn't the only project that had been ruined. If she didn't let this so-called sorceress at least try the spell she claimed could remedy the mess, it would be a whole night wasted in cleaning and five hundred dollars out of her pocket when everyone asked for a refund. She exhaled loudly through her nose before finally returning to face the green girl, who was waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Alright," she conceded begrudgingly. "You may try."

Elphaba smiled, glad they would not be banned from the class. "Thank you, ma'am."

The instructor nodded curtly and gestured to the mess. "Get on with it then. "

Elphaba relinquished her dish towel and stepped through the trail of dough to the center of the room. She spread her hands and concentrated on evening out her breathing. She felt the familiar burn of magic tug at her gut, and needles pricked the tips of her fingers; the boundless energy that constantly dwelled inside her, begging to be set free. Her eyes drifted closed and she began to chant the simple charm. Her first words were little more than a whisper, but gradually, they rose to a crescendo. Her powerful voice echoed off the walls, enchanting all who heard it to stop their work as the chunks of dough and unmixed ingredients slowly vanished from every surface.

" _Ich möchte funkeln, ich möchte Glanz, so dass mein Wille jetzt dein_!" On the last phrase, Elphaba's arms slowly rose to come together above her head, and the other students watched, awestruck, as the bits of cold, sticky batter did the same. It lifted from every counter, floated from every cabinet, even unstuck itself from hair and clothing and aprons, to form one large ball over the green girl. When she was sure all evidence of Fiyero's blunder had been swept up, she drew her hands slightly apart and thrust them behind her back in one swift motion.

She opened her eyes, heaving and out of breath, but relieved to see no trace of the disaster left in the room. It literally sparkled with cleanliness; the steel appliances looked almost new, and everyone's recipes were returned to their original forms- completely unharmed from flying dough. The room burst into applause, and Elphaba blushed furiously. She turned toward the instructor, and was surprised to see a ghost of a smile dancing on her lips.

"Not bad," she acknowledged with an appreciative nod of her head. "Keep up the good work, Miss. Elphaba, you have quite a talent for sorcery."

The witch flushed even greener at that. "Th- Thank you, Madame," she stammered.

The chef simply tipped her hat. "You may return to your stations now, students," she called. "And, Master Fiyero?"

The Vinkin gulped, but turned to meet her gaze taken aback that her eyes sparkled with just a hint of mirth. "Try not to destroy my classroom again today." She winked and offered a small smirk.

Fiyero grinned. "Yes ma'am.

* * *

Elphaba meandered back to the kitchen, glad to see that her spell had also returned the now unmixed batter back to its bowl. Fiyero stood by the island, a checkerboard dish towel slung over his shoulder. His hazel eyes gleamed and he immediately wrapped the green girl in an exuberant hug. "That was amazing, Fae!" he exclaimed, "I mean, I knew you were good, but that- wow!"

The sorceress laughed and brushed off his praise. Even as long as they'd been friends, she still wasn't used to getting congratulated for her curse. The only time she let her magic loose was if she accidentally lost her temper. Well, then, and of course to study with Morrible, but all the Head Shiztress did was chastise her for her lack of control. A whole room  _applauding_ over a simple charm was quite a lot to take in for one night.

"What, that?" She waved her hand as her eyes drifted to the tile once more. "Pfft, that was nothing, just a cleaning charm. Glin and I learned it our freshman year."

"Still," he objected, giving her one more side hug as she made her way back over to the counter, "thanks for cleaning up my mess."

Elphaba shrugged, the dimple on her left cheek barely visible as she smacked him with her apron. "What are friends for, brainless?" she chuckled.

Fiyero winced upon being called just a  _friend,_ although he should've known a stunt like this wouldn't move him any closer to the "relationship" zone with her. She was far too much of a stubborn perfectionist, he mused as she moved to the sink to give her emerald hands another rinse and he rubbed the spot where the towel had slightly stung his shoulder. It was more like a whip than anything when  _she_  had a hold of it- though not quite as bad as one of Galinda's twenty pound dresses, which had been viciously lobbed at him on numerous occasions over the course of their friendship. He supposed he was just lucky that she had a sense of humor; ordinarily she would've done a lot worse had they been back at school. Once he spent a week as a goat because back then he'd been an arrogant ass at the beginning of their years at Shiz, he'd made fun of Doctor Dillamond's lisp. That week had not been a pleasant one, but Fiyero was thankful it happened; otherwise they might never have become friends.

"I'm going to finish the batter," the green girl knocked him out of his daydream and slipped a recipe card in his hand. "Think you can handle the caramel without any more disasters?" She shoved him playfully.

Fiyero laughed before puffing out his chest and giving her a crisp salute. "Aye, aye, sir. Private Fiyero Tiggular, reporting for duty."

Elphaba let out a loud cackle before turning back to her own work. "Just get going, smart ass," she chided.

"Right on it, Fae," the prince promised with a grin.

But, as it turned out, he  _couldn't_  handle it. Five minutes into the constant stirring needed to keep the sugar from burning, he complained of a cramp in his hand. The witch unmindfully told him to switch arms- "and then go to a gym," he swore he heard her mutter under her breath- but once again chose to do his own thing instead. He turned his back and stretched out in an exaggerated flex, giving the sugar just enough time to crystallize and burn.

Fiyero sniffed the air upon seeing the billowing wisps of gray smoke from behind him. He whirled around to see the sugar beginning to seize, and little bits of flame beginning to curl around the edges of the pot. "Oh bad," he murmured, "bad, bad, bad."

He grabbed the spoon and started stirring wildly, but the mixture was beyond the point of saving. He reached for the heat control, but in his haste turned it the wrong way. He was just able to wrench his hand away from the burner before the fire flared to life. He stumbled backward and glanced nervously toward the green girl. "Uh… F- Fae? I could um, use a bit of help here!"

"Huh? Fiyero, what's-" Then her eyes locked on the flaming pot and her hand flew to her mouth as her irises widened in alarm. "Sweet Oz!" she breathed upon seeing the flames just sort of licking the tile behind the stove. She dropped the bowl that was still half full with the dough she'd been pouring in a glass dish to get it prepped for the oven. Running to the sink, she thrust a large measuring cup under the cool water. When it was full, she scurried to the stove and thrust the liquid at the burning flames. But instead of ceasing, the fire reared its ugly head, almost seeming to laugh at them as it blared even brighter, its tendrils now stretching out nearly tall enough to reach the hood above the stove.

" _Fuck!"_  the sorceress cursed. "Fiyero, what did you  _do_?"

The prince held up his hands, eyes frantic as they darted between the fuming green girl and raging fire. He couldn't decide which was most menacing. "I don't know! I didn't do anything, I was just-"

Elphaba lunged forward and latched her hand around the lid. She went in to try and thrust it atop the pot, hoping it might smother the flame, but as soon she inched close, she could feel its searing heat lick mercilessly at her skin. Fiyero pulled her back just before it managed to catch her.

"Fae!" he shouted. "Are you insane?! You could've seriously hurt yourself!"

"I'm just trying to put it out!" she screamed back. "Had I been doing this in the first place, there would  _be_  no fire!"

"This is the job you gave me!" the prince snapped.

"I asked you to make caramel, not burn down the kitchen!" Both parties  _knew_ they were letting their tempers get the best of them, but they were just so afraid someone was going to get hurt.

"What's going on over the- Lurline above!" the teacher gasped. She stumbled frantically to the wall and practically ripped the fire extinguisher from its holder. Fiyero and Elphaba quickly retreated to the farthest corner of the room, huddled with the other students as streams of foam sprayed the aggressive flames.

After several minutes, the room stopped holding its breath. Security had come running at the sound of smoke alarms, but the teacher had assured them everything was under control. When the fire was no more than a few trails of fogged air seeping from the pot. The teacher slumped against the counter in relief as everyone looked about uncertainty; unsure whether it was safe to return to work. The silent tension grew stifling, and Fiyero took a brave step forward. "Ma'am-"

" _You!_ " the woman snarled, her eyes red with wrath as she whirled on the cocky prince. "You two," she pointed a trembling finger firmly between Elphaba and the Vinkin, "out of my classroom!"

"But-" the prince protested.

"I don't want any more of your excuses, out!"

"But it was a-"

"I  _said_  I  _don't_  care," she snapped. "First you destroy my kitchen, and then you nearly burn down my school!" She shoved a shaking hand toward the open door. "Out!"

"But we-" Fiyero pleaded.

"OUT!" Her bellow shook the walls. Fiyero sighed in defeat and his shoulders slumped.

Elphaba slipped a hand into his and offered a small smile as she guided him out the door. "Come on, Yero."

"But I want to- She can't just-" he pulled back lightly on her arm, but the witch's hold was firm as she tugged him toward the carriage.

"Come  _on,_ " she urged. "We'll find something else fun to do."

Reluctantly, the prince trudged along behind her.  _Some date._

* * *

As the carriage bounced along the bumpy road back to Shiz, Fiyero stayed lost in his own thoughts. He'd wanted to make this night special for Elphaba, not just because of the bet, but because she was his friend and he wanted to impress her. But instead, he'd ended up nearly burning down a brand new kitchen and getting them banned from ever going back there again.

_Some boyfriend I'd make_ , he scoffed as the wheels creaked under his feet. "I'm sorry, Fae," he apologized lamely, fiddling with the holes in his jeans and not meeting her eyes.

Elphaba cocked her head and gave him a lopsided smile. "For what?"

The prince blinked and moved to face her. "Well I… I wanted this to be a special night for you- for your birthday. And instead-"

"Yero," the sorceress chuckled quickly and laid a gentle hand on his knee, "it  _was_  special. Maybe not the way you imagined, but it was certainly special."

Fiyero's expression was pure befuddlement as he stared at her in awed incomprehension. "It… it was?"

The green girl felt the corners of her lips tug upward in a thinly veiled smirk. "Well, come on, who else can claim they got to see the suave and debonair Crowned Prince of Vinkus covered in flour as he almost single-handedly burned down a state-of-the-art kitchen at one of Oz's most renowned cooking schools?  _That_  takes  _real_ talent."

The prince rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ha, ha, very funny."

Elphaba giggled behind her hand and arched an eyebrow. "I thought so."

Fiyero simply chuckled and shook his head. "You are something else, Fae."

The sorceress grinned. "Well, for a girl who can make a cyclone appear out of thin air when she loses her temper, what did you expect?"

"Elphaba! I didn't mean-" he started, worried he'd offended her.

The witch chuckled. "I know, Yero, I just love seeing your reaction when I say things like that."

"You, Elphaba Thropp, are quite the conundrum," he chortled. Elphaba made a show of taking an embellished bow from her waist.

"Why, thank you, Your Majesty. I try my best."

Fiyero shoved her. "But seriously though, I'm sorry we didn't get to finish that cake," he repeated, "I know it was your favorite."

Elphaba shrugged. "Hey, it's the thought that counts, right? Besides," she stuck her tongue out playfully, "this was  _much_ more entertaining."

The prince simply shook is head, his eyes twinkling with amusement as a ghost of a smile traced his lips when he helped her down from the carriage in front of Craige Hall. "Well, anyway, thanks for not hating me."

"I could never  _hate_ you, Yero," she smiled softly and took his hand. "And I really did have fun."

"Me too," the Vinkin smiled, "me too."

They walked to the girls' floor in comfortable silence. Fiyero pulled them to a stop just outside of Elphaba's room.

"Good night Fae," he whispered, lightly tracing a thumb down her cheek and causing her to shiver at the sudden, gentle contact.

"Night Yero," she rasped back. "I really did have fun tonight."

"I'm glad," the prince hummed.

"No, really, I should let you almost destroy places more often," she joked.

Fiyero scoffed. " _Fae,"_ he chided.

The sorceress smirked.

They stood there awkwardly for a minute, and Elphaba's heart hammered in her ears as Fiyero slowly begin to lean in closer. A part of her wanted to kiss him, just to see what it would be like, but she'd never done this before. She tilted her head slightly to the side and attempted to imitate his speed when she moved closer. Fiyero gently reached forward to brush a long raven lock from her face, leaving his hand resting behind her head. She could feel his warm breath on her neck. She allowed her eyes to drift shut as the prince cautiously closed the distance between them.

Just before their lips could touch, however, Elphaba heard their dorm lock click, and the door was thrust open, Galinda beaming widely behind it, her sapphire eyes alight with mischief. "Elphie, Fifi, you're back!" she squealed. "Did you have fun?"

The couple sprang apart. Elphaba's face darker than any moonlit grove and Fiyero's cheeks redder than a beet. He ran a hand down his face and let out an exasperated sigh as he narrowed his eyes at the debutante, who was grinning like that cat who had finally caught the canary and hadn't been seen.

" _Galinda_ ," he hissed.

"What?" the blonde innocently batted her lashes.

Fiyero smacked his forehead and Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, Yero," she sighed, giving him a light, friendly peck on the cheek. The prince grimaced, but tried to pass it off as a smile.

"Night, Fae," he said as their fingers brushed once more. "I'll see you tomorrow in class."

And with that, the green girl grinned and slipped behind the door, letting it latch softly behind her.


	5. Written in the Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's HERE! Finally! I cannot apologize enough for how long this took me, but I want to reassure you all that this story WILL be completed, though I can't say when for sure.
> 
> A big THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with this story and waited on my slow updating arse. Rest assured the wait for next chapter WILL NOT be that long. Also, shout out to ooncer, without whom this chapter would've taken even longer to finish. I love y'all!
> 
> Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, nothing is for profit.

 

**5**

**Written in the Stars**

After what Elphaba said about Fiyero and his disaster of an attempt to try and bake her a cake, Galinda figured it would be a cinch to top that. Cooking class? Who takes a girl to a  _cooking class_ on her first date? Her idea was  _much_ better. Or so she hoped.

"Glin, remind me  _one more time_ how I let you talk me into going out at one o'clock in the morning?" Elphaba called as she stifled a yawn behind the bathroom door while her roommate raided their closet. "Why do I have to get dressed in here anyway? We're both girls, and it's not like I haven't seen you naked before. We  _are_  roommate's after all."

Galinda huffed as she finished applying the last of her eye makeup before starting on the blush and bronzer. " _Because,_ Elphie, it's a Saturday night- a week before your 21st birthday! Plus, I bought a new dress, and I want to see if you like it."

"So, my birthday automatically means we're going to get drunk in the wee hours of the morning? I don't want to go drinking just 'cause I'm turning 21, Glin. And couldn't I just tell you whether I liked it or not on the hanger?"

"Who said we were going drinking?" the blonde retorted as she applied a light layer of muted lipstick. "And clothes  _always_ look different on me than they do in the store, Elphie. Honestly, do I have to teach you  _everything_?"

Elphaba chuckled softly from the other side of the door. "Apparently so."

"Well then, it's a good thing we're friends," the blonde quipped, bouncing on her toes. She glanced at the clock, 1:15 a.m. If they didn't hurry, they'd miss the meteor shower all together and Galinda would be back to the drawing board in terms of figuring out her friend's perfect date. "Are you almost done in there?"

Elphaba shook her head from the other side of the door as she flipped off the hair dryer. She hadn't taken a full on shower; it was far too early for that kind of prep. But if they were going out, she wanted to at least look presentable. She'd quickly doused her hair under the showerhead to avoid a frightening case of bed head. "Just a minute!" She reached for the pair of black slacks hanging over the towel rack and stepped through one leg. "You did say casual right?"

Mmm hmm." Galinda muffled her giggle as she glanced down at her own knee-length sweetheart cut white dress adorned with patches of glitter. Not exactly Elphaba's definition of casual, but Galinda would be lying if she said she didn't hope this ensemble would leave an impression on her bewitching roommate. They weren't going anywhere, not really, but an Upland never did anything halfway, especially a first date.

"Ok, great, then I guess I'm-" Elphaba opened the door and stepped out, but the sentence died on her lips when she saw her roommate's formal dress. "Galinda!" she squeaked. "That's not  _casual_! You told me we weren't going to a bar!"

Galinda flushed and offered an innocent smile and shrug of her shoulders. "We're not, Elphie."

"Well, then, where did this get up come from? Are we going to a prom?"

Her roommate felt her cheeks burn a bit, but she tried for a nonchalant giggle even as her brow began to sweat. Had she gone too far in trying to impress her? "Of course not, but… Do you like the dress?" she ventured, batting her long lashes and crossing her perfectly manicured fingers behind her back.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, Glin. You look great in anything."

The blonde's blush deepened and for the briefest of seconds she let her gaze drift to the carpet as her champagne flats scuffed at the floor. "You're just saying that."

"I don't say things I don't mean," the sorceress countered. "But I swear to Oz, if we end up at the Ozdust again and I'm wearing this?" She wiggled her fingers playfully, letting the slightest spark of magic dance between them. "You'll be sorry," she finished, only somewhat kidding.

Galinda grinned slyly and grabbed her hand. "You look great, Elphie, I promise. Now, come on, or we're going to miss it.

"Miss… what?" Elphaba asked, pulling back slightly as Galinda dragged her over the threshold and shut their door with a click. "Galinda…  _what_ are you up to?"

Her friend winked and the green girl was less than reassured by her answer. "Just trust me, Elphie, you're gonna love it."  _I hope._

"Galinda _…_ I don't know about this…" But she didn't have time to dwell on her uncertainties before her roommate's hand tugged at her own.

* * *

They raced to the elevator and Galinda sauntered in, pulling the green girl along behind her. The Cheshire Cat-like grin lighting up her face never wavered, but she wouldn't offer more than a giggle or an elusive 'You'll see' in answer to her roommate's constant, pestering questions.

"Galinda," she finally huffed. "I'm not taking one step out of this car until you tell me where in Oz we're going."

The blonde stopped in her tracks and turned to face her emerald friend, her bottom lip protruding slightly. "Elphie  _please_ ," she begged, her whine almost kin with that of a young toddler. "I don't want to ruin the surprise."

Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine," she muttered, powerless to her roommate's adorable pout and wide, ocean blue eyes. "But I swear Galinda Upland, if you try something that threatens to get us dispatched to the Head Shiztress and shipped off to Munchkinland, I am taking my broom out of here and I will  _not_ be back to save your sorry hide," she warned, a playful lilt sparkling in her warm eyes even though she was still highly suspicious.

Satisfied Galinda's wide smile returned. The elevator doors parted, and they stepped into the dimly lit dorm lobby. The blonde raced to catch the front door before it closed and hauled Elphaba out into the crisp spring air. "Just follow me, Elphie," she encouraged sniggering giddily as they skipped across the lawn. Well, Galinda skipped. Elphaba stumbled blindly after her.

The warm night air smelled of freshly blossomed honeysuckle and, as they hurried towards their mysterious destination, Elphaba couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling faintly in her stomach. It grew steadily as they made for the far corner of the campus; home only to the large round hut that served as a Sorcery classroom and the observatory. The latter stood tall and proud at the University's perimeter. Ivy twisted up its pristinely polished walls, hiding the intricately carved slogan just above its looming glass doors. An iron staircase spiraled up around its walls.

As the girls reached the foot of the tower, Galinda stopped abruptly and gaped up, appreciating the reflection of the moonlight in the curved stone. Elphaba arrived a moment later, breathing heavily and clutching a stitch in her side.

"Really?" she panted, doubled over in an effort to catch her breath. "You couldn't have found somewhere closer?"

Galinda turned and was about to chastise her friend but before she could open her mouth, Elphaba's features rearranged in awe as her eyes scaled the colossal tower. Galinda reveled in knowing it was she who had rendered the sorceress speechless.

Every day, on the way to her Sorcery class, Elphaba had seen dozens of students traipsing up the spiral staircase, lugging bagfuls of books behind them. In a bizarre way, the observatory usually faded into her background, but tonight her gaze was glued to its splendor.

"Wow," she breathed into the stillness.

"You wanna go up?" Galinda asked, skipping over to the bottom of the staircase and placing her hand on the rail.

Elphaba chuckled. "Don't be silly, Glin. We can't do that - it'll be locked!"

"Oh really?" the blonde teased, brandishing a metal ring on which clattered three large keys. "I think these say otherwise, don't you?"

"Galinda!" the green girl gasped. "Where did you  _get_  those?"

Galinda snickered and twirled and perfectly sculpted aurelian curl between her fingers, avoiding Elphaba's sable eyes just slightly as they bore into her. "I… um…  _may_ or may not have pleaded sick today during Ozonomics so I could snag these from the old bat's office," she admitted with a triumphant curling up of her lips.

 _"_ _What?"_ the sorceress shrieked. "Galinda! What in Oz were you thinking? If she finds out you took those… We could be expelled!"

The blonde simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms resolutely over her chest, trying to ignore the way her stomach dropped at the prospect that her rule abiding roommate might not take well to her spontaneous plan. "Come on, Elphie! I  _know_  you want to see what's up there, and if we don't go, you'll miss your surprise!"

"My sur…" Elphaba shook her head and tried to clear her clouded mind. "Galinda, if we get caught up there-"

"We  _won't,_ Elphaba," she insisted, losing her patience just slightly. "Besides, aren't you at least a  _little_ curious to see what I did up there?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but found she couldn't. Ever since they'd first arrived at Shiz, she'd wanted to see the observatory as it was at night, lit with tendrils of magic and gleaming in the moonlight. But the building was always locked, and she'd never gotten the chance. Now that her roommate had the keys though…

Finally, Elphaba sighed in defeat. She couldn't resist the temptation any longer. It went against everything she believed in, but she couldn't quell the anticipation that fluttered in her stomach. The nightly breeze made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end as she took a few steps towards her roommate.

The green girl's excitement was palpable and Galinda had no control over her hand as it reached out and clasped hold of Elphaba's. Together, they ascended, shoes pattering on the cool iron as they did. Elphaba held out the fingertips of her free hand and allowed them to skate across the polished stone, drawing an invisible spiral up the walls of the majestic column. She could almost feel sparks of electricity running through her body and into Galinda's, crossing through their hands like synapses.

When they reached the enormous wooden door at the top, Galinda selected from the three a flat key with a circular symbol at the top. "I think this is the one," she mumbled, slipping it into the lock and twisting it until they heard a click. She sighed with relief and gestured with a nod of her head for Elphaba to follow as she stepped inside.

The sorceress had never seen such a room. The desks were laden with objects that ticked and rotated so that they looked like hundreds of living creatures. She tiptoed over to the nearest table and watched as a silver sphere turned clockwise. Around the sphere, tiny sparkles danced like insects, shimmering in the milky moonlight that cast a glow through the one window. She reached out as the machine projected a hologram image of the Milky Way into the air, it's vibrant colors pulling her into a trance as she went to run her hand over the virtual map, but It fizzled at her touch. She frowned and drew her hand back, inspecting the room and trying in vain to figure out where to explore next.

A small cough reminded her of Galinda's presence and she made her way over to a second door on the other side of the room. Once again her blonde roommate produced a key, this time with a star at its bow. She inserted it into the lock and grinned in victory as the door swung open with a faint squeal.

There were more steps doubling back onto the roof of the room they had just been in. Up here, the breeze caught Elphaba's hair, suspending and twirling strands in mid-air. When they reached the top, Galinda led the way through a gap in a low stonewall and stepped out onto the roof. They were sheltered from the breeze now, and Elphaba gaped at the sight before her.

* * *

In front of them lay a wide spread cloth picnic blanket, it's red and white checkered pattern glittering under the glow of the moon. In the center of the cloth stood an ornate three-pronged candelabrum, shining crystals dangling from each candleholder. The jewels danced in the early morning breeze, casting shimmering rainbows on the two of them as Galinda beckoned her forward, her pale face flushing pink with pride at knowing that twice in one night, she had rendered her witty friend thunderstruck.

Her jaw hung open in shock as she inched forward in a delirious daze. Chocolate covered strawberries, custard with a sugared topping, and various other sweets littered the blanket. It was all the green girl could do to keep from drooling at the sight of such a luxurious feast. She hadn't seen a meal like this since last Lurlinemas, when Fiyero had invited the two of them to spend their winter break in the Vinkus.

"Ga…. Galinda…" she gasped, gesturing to the spread surrounding them as she settled down next to her roommate. "What in Oz is all this?"

A smug smirk played on her glossy lips as her sapphire eyes sparkled in the starlight. "It's your birthday, Elphie!" she squealed, nudging the sorceress with her foot. "I hope I remembered all your favorites from Lurlinmas."

"You did," she laughed, unable to wipe the dopey grin from her face. "But how, I mean what, I mean… When did you possibly have time to do all of this?"

Galinda shrugged as the blush coloring her cheeks deepened. "I may have had a little help. When Boq heard I wanted to surprise you, well..."

Elphaba laughed and shook her head. "How do you always have all the boys in school eating out of the palm of your hand, Galinda?"

The blonde's grin grew. "It's a gift."

The green girl rolled her eyes before reaching forward and letting her nimble fingers hover over the box of plump, ripe fruit. "May I?" she asked.

"Of course!" her roommate exclaimed. "It's  _your_ birthday after all."

Elphaba smiled and reached for the biggest berry, bringing it to her lips and sighing in pure bliss as her teeth sunk into the crisp dark chocolate shell only to have the bitter taste melt away and be replaced with the sweet tang of fresh strawberry juice as it dribbled down her chin. Galinda giggled. She swiped a napkin from their pile and leaned over to brush it against her roommate's soft lips.

"Is it good?"

"It's  _wonderful,"_ she moaned happily. "Here, try some."

She passed the box to Galinda, who carefully selected an equally sized piece of fruit, but it was bathed in creamy white chocolate instead of potent dark. She bit into the sweet, buttery coating, a moan of pleasure escaping her throat as she swallowed.

"Wow," she breathed. "Those are amazing."

"Mmm hmm," Elphaba agreed, "But not nearly as amazing as this." She spread her arms toward the open sky, and Galinda gasped when she followed her gaze. From here it seemed as though they could see the entire galaxy. Meteors rained down on them in lighting fast streaks of color. Stars glittered even more brightly against the canvas of the blackening night, and the moon was the biggest she'd ever seen it.

"Oh, wow." Her roommate nodded vigorously in agreement.

"It's incredible, Galinda. Thank you."

The blonde smiled shyly. "We're not done yet, Elphie." From the bag slung around her shoulder, she pulled out a slim bottle of the finest Gilikin Champaign, turning over Elphaba's glass that sat at her place before she had a chance to protest, and uncorking the bottle before filing it. "Momsie and Popsicle sent this just for the occasion," she said, flipping over her own chalice and filling it as well. She raised it in the air and motioned for her friend to do the same. "A toast, Elphie, to the best friend a girl could ever ask for, and to an amazing year ahead."

Elphaba's eyes moistened a bit at the comment, but she blinked back the joyful tears and instead focused on the warm glow of contentment filling her heart.

When the feast had been demolished and all that remained were two empty champagne glasses and a few crumbs, Galinda and her semi-date lay on their backs, looking up at the stars. Out of the corner or her eye, she watched Elphaba's chest rise and fall, slowly and rhythmically.

"Isn't it miraculous the way they twinkle?" Elphaba's voice murmured, almost rhetorically.

"Well actually, Elphie… They don't."

"What do you mean?"

Galinda could just make out her roommate's eyebrows knitted quizzically. "It just  _looks_  like they're winking at us because of the air that passes between us and them. Sometimes it blocks their light just for a split second so it looks like they're twinkling but really they stay exactly where they are. Where they've  _always_  been. Constants."

"Well you're just full of surprises tonight, aren't you?" Elphaba mused with an astonished chuckle. "Constants, I like that. The idea that they haven't moved in millions of years."

"There's a lot of beauty up there," Galinda agreed. "Like, did you know that almost every one of those stars is larger and brighter than our sun?"

"Now,  _that_  can't be right," she shook her head ruefully and nudged the blonde's arm.

"Oh it is," Galinda persisted. They're just much further away so we don't realize."

"Where did you learn that?" Elphaba asked, turning to look at her. She'd never heard Galinda spout so many facts in one sitting. She must have put a lot of effort to remember all of those facts. "I had no idea you knew so much about this stuff."

"Oh, I took an astronomy class once."

"You did? Really?" That, again caught the sorceress off guard. Her roommate had never shown one ounce of interest in the subject before tonight. At least, not that Elphaba had noticed.

"Yeah. Truthfully, I only took it because there was a boy I-" she began but thought better of it. "Did you know that our sun is actually green?"

Ah, so  _that_ was the ulterior motive. Elphaba smiled into the darkness as everything clicked into place. She was tempted to make a joke about her friend's infatuation with the opposite sex, but then considered the efforts Galinda had gone to to create the perfect evening and decided to follow her quick change of subject.

"No," she laughed, turning onto her side to face Galinda. "It can't be."

"It is," Galinda said smugly. "It's just that the human eye can't see at that particular wavelength. We see it yellow but it's actually a green star. Even greener than you," she added with a smile, reaching out her hand and running it up and down Elphaba's forearm.

The green girl gave a soft, involuntary gasp. The touch of Galinda's fingertips startled her, but she found herself relishing in it. It felt... comforting somehow. She didn't want to pull away. "Wow, that's green," trying to ignore the tingles running up and down her spine.

Galinda smiled into the darkness, and their eyes locked in the dim glow of the candlelight, their silhouettes bathed in the silver glint of the moon. Elphaba's heart shot into her throat, and condors took flight in her stomach as Galinda cautiously inched forward to close the distance between them. Her lashes fluttered, as if she was asking for permission, but not wanting to ruin the moment by saying it out loud. The green girl gave the slightest nod of her head even as every one of her muscles tensed in protest. She'd already lost out on one kiss with Fiyero, she wasn't going to let  _fear_  interrupt her second attempt with Galinda. Tonight, she was  _going_ to find out what if felt like to be kissed, even if the result might not be what she imaged because after all, neither were the circumstances.

She moved her head slightly to the side and did her best to mirror her roommate's speed when she moved closer. Galinda brought her arm around the green girl's and Elphaba smiled as their foreheads touched. Her breath was rose and smelled of strawberries as it brushed against her cheeks. She let out a deep breath, relaxing into her roommate's touch and allowing her eyes to drift shut as her friend cautiously closed the distance between them. Their lips barely brushed together and Elphaba felt sparks of electricity ripple through her body, but before they could go any further, frantic footsteps clattered up the stairs behind them.

* * *

"Hey, you!" The girl's sprang apart, cheeks flaming as they whipped around in alarm. To their chagrin, a security guard stood at the top of the landing of the second set of stairs, his hard eyes boring into their lengthy frames. "Who said you could be up here after hours?"

"Shit!" Elphaba hissed from the side of her mouth. "How did they find us?"

"I… I don't know," Galinda stammered, ashamed that she'd landed them in hot water.  _Again._ She looked desperately at Elphaba, her eyes pleading for help.

"Well, girlies?' the guard asked, tapping his foot against the cool metal and never dropping his glare. "I'm waiting."

Elphaba stepped forward before the guard, twitching her fingers behind her back as the slightest spark of magic danced between them. She muttered an incantation under her breath, hoping to Oz she remembered the right one. "You never saw us here," she commanded, her voice thankfully much more confident than she felt.

"What?" the guard scoffed, incredulous at her authoritative tone.

 _"_ _Elphie!"_ Galinda hissed. "What are you  _doing?_ "

"You never saw us here," the sorceress repeated, waving her hand ever so discreetly above the man's stout frame. "Tonight has been perfectly quiet."

"Look, Missy, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I-" Elphaba gestured again, and suddenly his eyes glazed over.

"No one was here," she said once more. "Everything is as it was when you locked up, and nothing unusual happened on your shift."

The guard nodded robotically, muttering under his breath. "Nothing unusual. No one was here."

Elphaba nodded curtly and let out a long breath, thrilled that her plan was working. "Now go back to your post, and have a nice long nap."

"Nice long nap," the guard muttered, turning and making his way back down the spiral staircase.

Once she was sure he was out of sight, Elphaba released her magic and stumbled forward. Galinda rushed to her side and caught her before she could fall.

"Oh my Oz! Elphie, are you alright?"

"I… I'm fine," she yawned, slumping against the blonde and fighting to keep her eyes open. That spell had taken a lot out of her. "T… Tired. Need to… sleep."

"Okay, Elphie, let's get you back to the room, and then I'll come clean this up."

* * *

They limped carefully as they could back to the dorm, and Galinda helped her roommate change into a simple cotton nightgown before gently turning down the covers and guiding her back to be. As the witch climbed in and pulled up the comforter, Galinda perched on the edge and chewed her lower lip regretfully.

"Thanks for saving us tonight, Elphie," she whispered. "I'm sorry you had to in the first place."

"'S okay, Glin," the green girl murmured as a sleepy smiled graced her face. "I had fun."

Galinda looked up at that, startled. "You did?"

"Mmm," Elphaba muttered. "Best birthday ever until that guard showed up."

Galinda's insides warmed upon hearing that, thrilled that all her effort had been worth it. "I'm glad. Happy Birthday, Elphie."

"Mmm… Night Galinda." And before the blonde could say another word, Elphaba's head lulled to the side, and she was snoring softly into her pillow.

"Night, Elphie," the blonde smiled. "Fresh dreams."


	6. Found Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's chapter 6, finally! The next one (or two, depending on how long each part takes, is already outlined. so this story should be complete in the next couple weeks! Thanks to everyone who's still reading, you rock! Shout-out to my awesome co-author ooncer and beta Charlotte Ashmore! You guys are the best!
> 
> Disclaimer: Nothing familiar is mine.

**6**

**Found Out**

Two weeks later, spring at Shiz was gradually giving way to stifling summer heat. The light jackets and cargo pants she'd once worn so comfortably would now glisten with a sheen of sweat in a matter of minutes. Elphaba found herself having to borrow clothes from Galinda so often now that it was hard to tell who owned what when it came time to start packing for the summer holiday.

Morrible pushed her as well, sometimes leaving her so exhausted after lessons that she could scarcely return to her room without help. She seemed convinced that a summons from the Wizard was merely days away, but the green girl had given up all hope of that long ago. Now it was just about getting control over her powers, although she often had to grit her teeth and bite her tongue upon hearing some of the ridiculous exercises the Head Shiztress had set up for her. For the first time in her life, she was actually looking forward to summer. Even if it meant having to spend every waking moment trailing after her sister because Frex was too preoccupied to care for her himself. They hadn't had a governess since Nanny passed on when Elphaba was ten, so now all the household duties had fallen to her.

Not everything was as bad as it seemed however. With the change in season, Elphaba found her friendships shifting too. She and Galinda were softer now, more like loving sisters since their adventure at the observatory. Touches came easier and it didn't startle the green girl as much when her roommate would brush their hips together as they studied on her soft duvet, or rest a hand on her knee as they chatted over morning coffee before heading their separate ways to class. She'd even come to enjoy the feeling of Galinda threading her oh-so-coveted hairbrush through Elphaba's thick, raven locks, though she would never say so aloud, for fear of instigating a full-blown makeover. Galinda's incessant chatter had subsided. The silence that sometimes stretched between them was no longer a gamble of waiting for the other to speak, but a comfortable blanket that enveloped them each night before they drifted to sleep.

Things with Fiyero were different too, though she didn't know exactly what it meant. They were shyer around each other, offering coy, small smiles across the classroom, but hardly exchanging words. The green girl felt her cheeks color a deeper shade of green every time their hands brushed, and if she met his eyes in time, there would be a fleeting touch of red tinting his face as well. Still, they managed to keep up decent conversations, at least around Galinda and Avaric and their small circle of friends. For that, Elphaba was grateful. The constant chatter kept her from focusing on the meaning of the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach whenever he was near.

The fact played over and over in her mind that she'd come so close to kissing both of her best friends within the time-span of two weeks, and the longer it wasn't mentioned, the more she began to wonder. She wasn't sure where any of this left their little trio, but she was beginning to like these new sides to her friends. She wanted to see more.

* * *

That Tuesday was a rather taxing day for the green girl, and it brought a small smile to her face when she walked through her dorm door to find Galinda sitting cross-legged on her bed, bent over an Ozonomics textbook. If anything could lift her somber mood after Morrible's sorcery lesson, it was her friend's chipper demeanor. But when she swung her tote bag over her shoulder and set it next to her chest of drawers, she was greeted by yet another surprise - a bouquet of lavender perched on her dresser in a sleek violet vase.

Elphaba's day brightened further at the sight. Long ago, she would flee to the fields surrounding Cowlen Grounds to escape her father's constricting rules and collect the tiny flowers, pressing them in her palms to release their scented oils. She could spend hours in those fields, pretending to be anyone  _but_  the Governor's daughter, the lesser child. Before returning, she would cram her pockets full of the lilac sprigs, ready to slip beneath her pillow in an effort to discourage her guilt-ridden nightmares.

Elphaba plucked a stem from the vase. She closed her eyes and lifted it to her nose, breathing in the fresh, heady scent. Instantly, she was back in the meadows surrounding her childhood home. It was a clear blue day and the birds serenaded her as she passed, bringing sweet memories of Melena to the forefront of her mind with their cheerful songs.

A slow smile spread across the witch's face as she returned to the halls of Shiz. She set the flower back in its place and picked up the vase, carefully carrying it across the room.

Galinda looked up as Elphaba came over and set it on the nightstand beside her bed. Her eyes widened upon seeing the bountiful bouquet of her roommate's favorite flowers.

"Who are those from, Elphie?" She pushed the textbook off her lap and swung her legs over the side of her bed, reaching out to touch the tip of her finger to the delicate blossom.

"I was just wondering the same thing," Elphaba shrugged and pursed her lips at the tense edge to her friend's voice. "But from the sounds of it, they're not from you."

Galinda shook her head and heaved up off of the bed, studying the blooms from all angles. "Oh, look." She plucked a small, folded piece of cardstock from the center of the bouquet and handed it to the sorceress. "A card. Maybe this will tell us who your secret admirer is." She plastered a smile on her face and crossed her fingers behind her back that it was someone other than Fiyero. Nessa, perhaps. Or even Frex, wishing her a late happy birthday. Anyone but the Vinkus prince.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, nudging the blonde's shoulder with her own. "Very funny, Glin. Like  _I_ would ever have a secret admirer."

"Why else would someone send your  _favorite_ flowers?"

"Late birthday present?" she offered lamely, failing to ignore the flutter of her heart.

Galinda snorted, even though that was exactly her hope. "Just open the card, you stubborn green thing!"

A smirk danced on the edge of Elphaba's lips as her roommate bounced on her tiptoes and struggled to peer over her shoulder. She made an elaborate show of unfolding the paper, her grin only widening at Galinda's impatient chatter. She let the suspense grow, enjoying the blonde's frustration a little too much.

"Well? Read it already!"

"Oh, I don't know, Glin. Maybe it's more fun to leave it a mystery." She smiled cheekily and stuck out her tongue.

The blonde lunged for the card, but Elphaba kept it aloft. "The mystery needs to be  _solved_ ," she protested. "I wanna know what it says!" She jumped for the paper, but her roommate stepped backward onto the blonde's bed, holding it even further out of her reach.

"Are you  _sure_?" She giggled, trying to sound playful to cover up her nerves. At least if it was Galinda, she could be confident it was a real sentiment of friendship, or perhaps something more, but anyone else… She shook her head, surrendering to her own curiosity and plopping down on the covers.

_"_ _Elphie_ _…"_

The green girl chuckled. "Alright, come on." She patted the open space on the blonde's rosy duvet and Galinda eagerly scrambled up next to her. She scooted close enough so their hips were touching and a warm feeling spread through Elphaba's veins at the contact. She smiled and flipped open the card.

_Dear Fae,_

Elphaba gulped upon reading that nickname. Only one person called her that. Her fingers began to tingle in anticipation.

_Happy (late) Birthday! I know lavender's your favorite, so I had some fresh flown in from the fields by your old house. Hopefully, they make it in one piece, and you're able to enjoy them, since you couldn't enjoy the cheesecake the other night. :P_

_I_ _'_ _m sorry about getting us kicked out, but I really did have fun. Maybe we can do it again sometime? Not burn down another kitchen of course, but just something fun before we head home for the summer? You can pick. That way, yo_ _u_ _w_ _on't_ _have to worry about any overly ostentatious modes of transportation. Anyway, here_ _'_ _s hoping!_

_Yours,_

_Fiyero_

By the time she reached the end of the note, her eyebrows had risen to her hairline and her mouth formed a small, stunned "o". So Fiyero  _had_ sent the flowers? And not just any flower, but her childhood favorite. Elphaba's mind churned a mile a minute as she processed this. She couldn't believe he'd actually remembered. Not that she thought he was the type to forget something like that but… Well, he kind of was.

But he hadn't forgotten. He'd even taken enough care to ship them all the way from Munchkinland. And not only that, he wanted to go on another date!

Wait… Did she just call their cooking class a date?  _Was_ it a date? Or was it really just meant as an early birthday gift, as Fiyero had claimed?

She nibbled her lip and thought back to that night. The fancy carriage, the way he fumbled and couldn't find his words, the spark that passed between them each time their fingers brushed against one another…

She swallowed hard as the realization hit her. Maybe there really  _had_  been something there. Maybe it wasn't  _all_ her imagination. Maybe…

 _Oh_ _,_ _stop being ridiculous, Elphaba,_ she scolded herself.  _Fiyero's nothing more than a friend. A very good friend. Almost a brother, when you think about it._

But was he? Did she want him to be something more? Did he?

Her stomach somersaulted. The bed began to rock back and forth, jolting her from her thoughts. For an instant, she was sure she was on a ship.

"Come on, Elphie!" Galinda chirped, shaking her shoulder. "Spill it. Who's it from?"

Elphaba blinked, focusing her gaze back on the bouncy blonde, who was about ready to jump out of her skin with excitement. She cleared her throat and glanced back down at the card, which shook slightly along with her hand. "They're uh...They're from Yero," she murmured, still trying to decipher what this all meant.

 _So! I was right!_ Galinda seethed.  _Why, that conniving little_ _…_ _!_ How did he always remember the most important things at the least opportune time? And, more importantly, why hadn't she thought of it first?

"Really?" she croaked, fighting to sound cheerful and reaching to grab the card once more. Elphaba cocked her head to the side and gave her a strange look. She quickly pulled her hand away. "Well, what does it say?"

"It… It looks like I was right a few weeks back, Glin. He  _was_  trying to ask me out that day in the library."

"Oh?" She did her best to feign surprise, but inside she was screaming. Why did Fiyero have to be so obvious and charming about everything?

"Mmm…" Elphaba murmured. "And he… He wants to do it again."

Galinda gulped. "Well… Do you?"

"I… I don't know," the green girl stammered as a hot blush rose to her cheeks. "I just can't believe he actually remembered…" She stroked the petal of the nearest lilac, setting off another string of curses in Galinda's head.

"Well, I guess he really  _does_ pay more attention than we give him credit for," she muttered.  _Certainly more attention than_ I  _gave him credit for._

Elphaba laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

At that moment, a knock at the door made them both jump. Galinda sighed as she heaved herself up to answer it, knowing exactly who it was going to be.

"Fiyero," she shrilled in a pitch so high, Elphaba thought that, soon only the animals would be able to hear her.

"Hey, Glin," he grinned. "I, uh, just wanted to see if-"

"Oh, h-hi, Yero." Elphaba stumbled over her own feet as she made her way to the door.

"Hi, Fae!" he enthused, amber eyes dancing with excitement. "I, um, how… How are you?"

"I'm good," she laughed as the color of her cheeks deepened. "I got your flowers."

"You did? Do you like them?"

She nodded. "They're gorgeous. How did you know?"

"I told you, Fae," he chuckled with a satisfied smirk. "I pay more attention than you think."

Elphaba smiled. "I can see that."

Galinda watched the entire exchange with narrowed eyes, half convinced that steam was going to come out of her ears. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Fiyero," she interjected a little too brightly before he could say anything else. "I wonder if you and I could step outside and  _talk for a moment_." She gave him a pointed glare and Fiyero gulped.

"Uh, sure, Glin, but first I just wanted to-"

"Nevermind that." She ignored his protests, pushing him back out the way he'd come. She turned back to Elphaba with a quick smile. "Won't be a clock tick," she trilled before flouncing out of the room and closing the firmly behind her.

* * *

Once she was sure Elphaba couldn't hear her, she dragged the prince a little ways down the hall, staring him down and planting her hands firmly on her hips. "What did you think you were doing, Fifi?" she hissed, careful to keep her tone from rising too high. "Lavender? She loves lavender!"

Fiyero quirked a brow and stifled a chuckle at her outrage. "Yeah, she does. That was kind of the point, Glin. Why are you so mad anyway? It's just flowers. I didn't buy her a castle?"

"A castle?" she shrieked. "You almost bought her a  _castle_?"

"No, but I could've. I thought it might be a bit much for a first date though, considering what happened with the carriage. "

"The carri-" Galinda shook her head. "That's beside the point, Fiyero. This wasn't part of the deal. We're supposed to be dating her not...  _wooing_ her!"

The prince laughed. "Last time I checked, Glin, you kind of  _have_ to woo someone in order to get them to agree to go out with you."

"Bu-"

"No buts. You're just mad that you didn't think of it first."

"I am not!"

"Really? 'Cause it looks like you are."

"I'm  _not,_ " she insisted, crossing her arms.

Fiyero snickered. The color of her face and clenching of her fists said otherwise. "Sure you're not. Whatever you say, Galinda."

"Ozdamn whatever I say," she snapped. "And I can be just as charming and thoughtful as you, even without royal family funds."

"Oh, yeah? Prove it."

Galinda's icy gaze never left his as she squared her shoulders. "Fine, I will." She spun on her heel and began to stalk away.

"Yeah, right. Good luck,  _princess_. Let me know how it works out for you, 'cause if our date was any indication, I'm pretty sure Fae's into  _guys_."

At that, the blonde dug her heels into the carpet outside their dorm and whirled to face the prince, eyes flashing. "And how would you know, mister 'High and Mighty'? Did she tell you this herself?" Her shoulders sagged the slightest bit in relief when Fiyero shook his head.

"No, but if you hadn't been so eager to break up our goodbye, she would've kissed me!"

 _I know,_ Galinda thought,  _that's why I stopped it._ She knew it was selfish, but she wanted so badly to be her best friend's first kiss. "That... That doesn't mean anything," she snarked, cursing under her breath. Was that the best she could do?

"It does," the prince countered. "And you know it."

The blonde caught her lip between her teeth. "It could've been me too, you know, if we hadn't been caught by that stupid security guard."

If Elphaba had been suspicious before about Galinda's sudden desire to speak to Fiyero in private, it was nothing to how she felt now. Pressed up against the door, she strained to hear what her friends were discussing so secretly. Usually, the slightest noise could be heard from the hallway and often, she would be awoken in the night by students returning to their rooms or padding sleepily to the bathroom. However, the hissed whisperings of Galinda and Yero interspersed with the occasional word tinged with malice, had her on high alert. Sure, they were quite at liberty to have conversations that didn't include her, but the secrecy caused an uneasy twinge in the pit of her stomach and, rather clumsily than she'd hoped, she flung open the door and stumbled out into the corridor.

"Look, Galinda," she heard Fiyero whisper. His venomous scowl relaxed into an awkward smile when he clapped eyes on the green girl who had emerged from her room. "Fae… hi,"

Elphaba stood silently, surveying the scene. Galinda's face tinged crimson as she stood with one hand on her hip and the other in the air. She looked almost comical, desperately trying to hold her own in the shadow of her Vinkun competitor.

"What's going on out here? I could hear you shouting through the door."

"Elphie…" Galinda squeaked, fiddling with the oversized pink stone that resided on her finger.

"Well?" Elphaba barked, louder than she'd meant.

The guilty pair were stunned into silence, and for a moment the young witch pondered the possibility that she'd lost control of her magic once again and accidentally frozen them. It was only the sharp rise and fall of Fiyero's chest and the beads of sweat appearing on her roommate's brow that dispelled her fear.

"Elphaba," Fiyero began, his voice trembling along with the rest of his body. "We… Well, we…"

"You what, Yero?" Their pensive faces left her wondering whether she actually wanted to know what was causing her friends' distress after all.

Fiyero twined his hands, begging the tiny blonde for support, but was merely offered a silent shrug and tiny shake of her head in reply. He wanted to stay silent, to keep things going just long enough for her to choose and let this whole thing blow over, but watching her now, how curious and confused she looked, seeing the worry lines that creased her forehead… He just couldn't. He sighed deeply and said a silent prayer to whichever god would listen before finally opening his mouth.

He cracked.

"Fae, we… We made a bet with each other."

"A... bet?" she repeated, unsure how that news was supposed to affect her.

He nodded, chewing his lower lip. "Right. We had a competition to see which one of us you'd rather...date."

Elphaba's mouth opened and closed without uttering a sound.

"Except Fiyero gave you those flowers today," Galinda interjected, "and that wasn't part of the deal so-"

Fiyero nudged her. "What Galinda means," he began, studying the green girl's face carefully and trying to gauge her reaction, "is that she was worried you'd choose me rather than her because of that tiny bunch of lavender." He attempted a lighthearted chuckle, earning himself a glare from Galinda. Elphaba however, remained quite still, mouth slightly open and the same frown still hardening the features of her emerald face. Fiyero's laughter tapered off, and they both simply watched her, waiting for the bomb to drop.

Her silence was unnerving. She didn't move, didn't  _blink_. They weren't even sure if she was breathing. She stood there, staring at them, for what seemed like hours. Her jaw was slack, her eyes wide, but she didn't make a sound. They only knew she was alive by the rapid rise and fall of her chest as air forced its way through her lungs.

Finally, Fiyero couldn't take it any longer "We didn't  _mean_ for it to go this far," he insisted, wringing his hands as his amber eyes begged for her forgiveness.

"Well, not at first, anyway."

"We just… we both really like you Fae, and…" The words died on his lips as Elphaba's expression remained unchanging. He didn't know where to begin.

But Galinda did. "And, so we, er, met up that day at lunch to sort of… get each other's blessing?" She glanced at Fiyero, who simply shrugged and nodded once. "But then you found out what we were doing and…"

"You thought it was so ridiculous." Fiyero finally found his voice. It was dry and scratchy He could feel drops of moisture tracing their way down the back of his neck as he spoke. "And we just didn't know what to do! We really wanted to let  _you_ choose, but we couldn't do that unless you gave us a chance so-"

"So you lied to me," Elphaba finished, her words sounding raw and empty even to her own ears. Fiyero winced, keeping his eyes on the carpet and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Galinda played with an invisible thread on the hem of her skirt. "You lied to me and then, what?  _Pretended_ you wanted to celebrate my birthday, the first happy birthday I've had in too many years to count mind you, all so you could win a bet and try to date me?" She blinked the fresh sting of tears back from her eyes, the last sentence coming out barely above a whisper.

"We never lied, Elphie," Galinda protested, moisture dampening her own cheeks.

"Yeah, Fae, we really did want to give you a great birthday."

"By tricking me."

"No, by taking you out and showing you a good time."

"A good time?" She scoffed, her breathing wet and heavy as her whole world collapsed around her. "Look around, Fiyero! Does  _this_ look like a good time to you?" She gestured to the few feet between them, which at the moment felt like miles. "Lying? Cheating? Fighting with each other? If this is your idea of a good time…" She stopped and shook her head, her dark eyes suddenly growing black and cold. "Maybe you aren't even really my friends."

With that, she stalked back into the room, slamming the door behind her and locking it with a final  _click_. Galinda and Fiyero winced as the sound echoed through the deserted halls.


	7. Choices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The last chapter! Enjoy! There will be no sequel to this story, but if any of you want to play around in this verse, PM me so I know JShout out to my amazing co-author ooncer and beta Charlotte Ashmore!
> 
> Disclaimer: Nothing is mine!

**7**

**Choices**

"Do… Do you think she'll ever forgive us?" the blonde whispered, her stomach twisting with guilt as she stared at the closed door. The outrage etched in her best friend's face flashed across her memory. How on Earth they had let things get this far? Of all the possible outcomes, this was not one they had entertained even in their wildest imaginations. Fiyero's hands dug deeper and deeper into his pockets and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed, to meet Galinda's eyes.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm not sure  _I_  would forgive us if I were her."

Once again, the gravity of what they had done lay between them. Fiyero's words hung in the air. He was right, of course. What they did was horrible. Unforgivable. Especially for someone as emotionally vulnerable as Elphaba Thropp. They had to find a way to make it up to her, but neither knew what would happen next, or how to even begin to fix things.

"I only wanted to show her how much she means to me." Galinda punctured the eerie quiet with her plea. "I didn't think she'd ever find out about our…" She trailed off, trying to find a better word to describe what it was they'd subjected their friend to. What they'd done wasn't a bet. It was a… manipulation. They'd toyed with her emotions, and meddled with her feelings, all to satisfy their own selfish desires.

Oz, how was she ever going to forgive them?

"We shouldn't have done it, Galinda," Fiyero muttered, not meeting her gaze. "She's really hurting."

"It was  _your_ idea," she snaked back. "Why didn't you think about that?"

"Why didn't  _you_?" he retorted. "You went along with it, just the same."

Galinda dropped her hands from their position on her hips, letting them hang limply at her sides. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to say, so she just told the truth. "I only did it because I was afraid you'd take her away from me."

Fiyero's eyes widened. "You were?"

Galinda nodded, her pale face reddening with embarrassment. "I thought that if you asked her out and she accepted, that I'd be… you know… The third wheel. I couldn't be left on the outskirts like that, especially when I realized how I feel about her."

"You could never be a third wheel, Glin." Fiyero grinned and nudged her shoulder. "You're too bright and bubbly for that."

A small, throaty laugh escaped the heiress, and she turned to stick her tongue out at him. He winked and a rosy blush rose to her cheeks once more. "Thanks, Fifi. You're… You're a good friend, you know? Like the brother I never had."

Fiyero ducked his head and scuffed his shoes against the carpet. "I'm glad at least someone thinks so." He cast a long forlorn look at the closed dorm door. "Why did I ever think that bet was a good idea?"

Galinda sighed and shook her head, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's my fault, too. I should've never gone along with it. It was stupid and childish and I knew it would hurt Elphie's feelings if she found out but…." She shrugged and looked away. "I just never thought it would blow up like this."

"Me neither."

After a moment's pause, Galinda turned and took a deep breath before extending her hand with a small smile. "Friends again?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Fiyero grinned and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Friends again."

As they parted, Galinda felt a huge weight lift from her chest. She could breathe again.

And then her gaze settled on the heavy oak door, the one wall that still separated her from her best friend. The sickening feeling settled right back in the pit of her stomach as quickly as it had left.

"What about Elphie?" she asked. "I doubt she'll forgive us that easily."

Fiyero's mouth set in a thin line and he nodded solemnly in agreement. "We really hurt her." His voice was laced with guilt and regret. "We've got to show her how sorry we are. Otherwise we'll  _both_  lose her for good."

Galinda hummed. "We've got to fix this… But how?"

Fiyero motioned toward the closed door.  _You're_  her roommate. You should try first."

"But  _you're_ her boyfriend," Galinda defied. "She'll listen to you."

The prince scoffed. "We were  _both_ dating her, Galinda. And, after what just happened, I doubt  _either one_ of us means much to her right now."

"True," the blonde conceded, blowing a loose tendril of hair out of her eye. There was yet another long pause as each contemplated how best to win their friend back. Galinda caught her lip between her teeth and closed her eyes in the silence, deciding, for the good of her friend, that it was time to admit defeat.

"She loves you, you know," she confessed, tracing the patterned carpet with her foot.

Fiyero blinked and swiveled to face her. "What?" he breathed, not sure he'd heard correctly.

Galinda blinked back tears and fought to keep her voice steady. "I see the way she looks at you…"

"But, we both-"

She cut him off with a quick shake of her head. "I know, Fi. But, it's you she wants."

The prince simply gaped at her, unable to believe his ears. "H… How can you be so sure?"

"I… I just am," she said, unable to come up with the words to explain it properly. "You… You know how to treat her, Fi. You remember things I never do, and-"

"Glin…" Fiyero sighed and trailed a hand through his dark locks. He exhaled deeply through his nose. "Just because I sent her flowers first, it doesn't mean I know her better. You're an amazing friend, Galinda. I'm sure she trusts you with things she'd never dream of telling me."

"She used too," the blonde sulked, looking up at the door again and willing herself not to cry. "Now..." A soft sob escaped her lips and Fiyero pulled her into a gentle side hug.

"Don't give up yet. You guys were best friends way before I meant  _anything_  to her. If she's going to forgive anyone, it's going to be you."

Galinda sniffed and smiled up at the prince. "Ya think?"

"I know." He shoved her a little ways towards the door with an encouraging nod. "Now go win back our best friend."

Galinda laughed in spite of herself and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Okay. I'll try."

* * *

 

Elphaba closed the door behind her with a satisfying slam. She promptly locked it before sliding to the floor and curling her knees against her chest. A bet. They'd actually made a  _bet_ about her love life! And they didn't think she would find out? What were they going to do? Just keep making up fake excuses to take her out until she finally realized she was falling hopelessly in love? The idea was utterly preposterous.

And yet, it had been exactly their plan.

She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to feel. All she knew was that the two people she trusted most in the world had turned on her. Just like everyone else.

Her mother, Nessa, Frex… Everyone that was supposed to know her better than she knew herself had always treated her like nothing more than a burden. Her mother had died because of her father's fear; her sister thought she was her personal slave, and her father… If it weren't for his precious Nessa, she was sure her father would pretend she never existed. She was a burden of a first born, and that's all she'd ever be. Nothing she did would change it, so she had to learn to accept it.

Then she met Galinda and Fiyero.

They were the first people to actually treat her like a human being, and not some accessory, a hanger's on trying to benefit from their popularity- well, once they'd moved past the 'loathing' phase. They were the first people since Nanny died with whom she felt she could be herself. They were her home, her comfort, and her best friends.

And then they'd betrayed her.

In one moment, a current of broken trust washed everything she'd ever shared with the two of them away. They were strangers now, and she could never let them, or anyone else, past her walls again. It was as that thought washed over her, with all the certainty and finality of a sinking ship that she surrendered to her tears. She buried her face in her lap as silent sobs wracked her thin frame.

* * *

 

The cool brass knob turned painfully slowly in the blonde's clammy hand. She inched the door open just a crack, frowning when, hard as she pushed, it wouldn't go any farther. "Elphie?"

"Go away!"

Her ears perked at the sound of Elphaba's voice. It was thick with sorrow and anger. She peaked through the small opening. The green girl had her back against the door, her head buried in her knees so her long raven locks hid her face like a dark veil. Her body shook back and forth slightly, trembling with soundless sobs.

 _Oh, Elphie,_ Galinda sighed.  _I'm so sorry._

Knowing that her best friend's heart was breaking on the other side of the door was almost enough to shatter Galinda's completely.

"Elphie,  _please_!" she begged, pressing her weight up against the door as though she might dissolve through it. When that didn't work, she squatted down and balanced on the balls of her feet. If she couldn't be  _next_ to Elphaba, at least she could be on her level. "I'll leave if you want me to," she whispered, choking back a sob. "But we still have class tomorrow even if you stay made at me, so I need to get some of my things."

"I said Go. Away." came the muffled, tearful response. The door closed suddenly, with the harsh click of the second lock.

Galinda turned and sat down on the cold, hard floor with her back against the wood. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "I didn't know it would all turn out this way." She was speaking almost to herself, but took safety in the knowledge that if Elphaba was still behind the door, she had no choice but to listen. "Fiyero and I… What we did was ridiculous, we can see that now."

She heard a snort of agreement.

"It's just that, well, when Fiyero said he wanted to take you out, I got a little… jealous. I thought that  _I_  could show you how you deserved to be spoiled. I couldn't bear to hear him harping on about how much he liked you when I felt the same way."

"We were all friends, Galinda," Elphaba barked. "We  _all_ liked each other."

Galinda sighed. There was no way she would be able to get around this without telling her roommate the truth, and all of it.

"Yes, I know that, Elphie. It's just that… These past few months and the time we spent together recently on our date has made me realize-"

"What an idiot I am for letting you two string me along?" Elphaba retorted.

"How much you mean to me. You're not just a roommate to me, Elphie. Or a friend. Every time I look at you, my stomach turns somersaults and I almost forget how to breathe. I spend all my time in class thinking about seeing you afterwards and wondering what you're doing. Elphie… I think… I think I love you. And I  _know_  how stupid I was to go along with Fiyero's plan and that you don't deserve t-"

At that moment, there was a click and the door flung open, causing Galinda to fall backwards over the threshold. She looked up to see Elphaba gaping down at her, open mouthed and hands on her hips.

"What did you say?" the green girl breathed in a voice that was at least two octaves higher than usual.

Galinda got to her feet and dusted herself off, before coming face to face with Elphaba. "I  _said_  that I love you. And I wanted to prove to you tha-"

"You… You love me?"

Galinda nodded, her bottom lip clamped tightly between her teeth.

"Glin… I…" Elphaba considered the blonde's confession for a moment. "You hurt me."

"I know, Elphie," Galinda began, but the green girl cut her off.

"What you and Fiyero did… It was awful. Look, I know you didn't mean for things to turn out this way, and I'm trying, I mean  _really_  trying to understand what in that blissful, blonde brain of yours made you do it. But you're my friend, Galinda. You've been there for me when I thought nobody else would, and I love you too, I do, just… as a friend. As… As a sister, even. But… But not… "

Galinda's eyes met the floor. "I know," she said, her voice hoarse and raw with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Glin. I really am. But when I learned about what the pair of you had done, in that moment of betrayal and disappointment, I realized it was Fiyero who had let me down the most. I mean, I know it was his idea and all, but I think… Oh, Galinda… It's Yero I want to be with."

To Elphaba's surprise, her roommate wasn't the least bit shocked by the news. Instead, she only smiled sadly. "Oh, Elphie, I know."

"You… You do?"

In spite of everything, Galinda couldn't help but laugh at her incredulous expression. "I do. I knew from the moment he sent you those flowers. I just… I had to tell you anyway. Before I lost my nerve." She took the green girl's hand and squeezed lightly. "I love you, Elphie, I do. And it's because I love you that… That I have to let you go. You and Fifi are perfect together, and I won't have our little stunt breaking the two of you up."

Elphaba blinked and clasped her roommate in a tight, spontaneous hug. "Oh, Galinda… Thank you," she said sincerely before stepping back.

"You're welcome, Elphie. I'd do anything for you."

"I know, sweet." The green girl smiled gently. "As would I for you." She paused then, her brow scrunching in uncertainty. "I do have to ask though, how did you know I-"

"You're not very subtle when it comes to liking people, Elphie," her friend laughed.

The witch snorted and rolled her eyes, leading them both over to take a seat on the blonde's fluffy comforter. "I am! You're just entirely too good at reading me."

"True, but I don't have to be good at reading you to know you like him. You turned five different shades of green when you read that cheesy card of his."

Elphaba mocked gasped and swatted her arm with a pillow. "Shut up!"

"Oh, you  _did_ not just whack me with a pillow, Elphaba Thropp."

The green girl smirked and stuck her tongue out in response. "And what if I did?"

A devilish smile curled the edges of the blonde's lips. "If you did…" She picked up the nearest pillow and lobbed it directly at her roommate's shoulder. "Then I did too!"

"Galinda!"

Elphaba shrieked with laughter and bounded off of the bed as her bright-eyed friend chased her around the room with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Laugh lines dotted her usually stern emerald features and her sides hurt from so much giggling. She picked up her own weapon and whirled on her roommate, reversing the cycle and reveling in this perfect, blissful moment of childhood play. Fiyero and Galinda still had a lot of making up to do, and she still a number of unfamiliar feelings to sort out, but at least now, she knew that whatever happened, they would always be her friends.

**The End**


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